After Guwahati’s purple plan, Arunachal capital goes blue

GUWAHATI

Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh, has beaten Guwahati to a uniform colour scheme.

Mrigen Sarania, the Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation, unveiled a plan on May 30 to turn Assam’s largest urban centre into a purple city. The idea, he said, was inspired by Jaipur, the Pink City.

While Guwahati’s purple plan awaits the official go-ahead, the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) ordered the owners of all shops and business establishments to paint their shutters and facades sky blue. The order, signed by IMC Commissioner Kego Jilen, was issued on June 12 with a month’s deadline for compliance.

The order was, however, implemented recently, triggering a rush to finish the paint job in time.

The order said that the colour scheme was chosen “with the vision to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the city, promote a clean and organised marketplace, create a vibrant urban environment, and control unauthorised advertisements”.

The order said all shop shutters should be painted in sky blue colour and the IMC-registered trade licence number should be displayed clearly and prominently on the upper portion of the shutter

The IMC also asked the shops and business establishments to arrange bins in four different colours—green for food and kitchen waste and vegetable peels; blue for dry or recyclable waste, such as paper, plastic, metal, and glass; red for sanitary waste; and black for hazardous waste, including batteries, bulbs, e-waste.

Warning of action in case of non-compliance with the order, the IMC said the “colourful” initiative would help improve the visual character of commercial areas, strengthen the city’s identity, and contribute to building a cleaner and aesthetically pleasing Itanagar.