Dibrugarh residents donate as RRR centre launches winter relief drive

Dibrugarh: The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation’s RRR (reduce, reuse, recycle) centre organised a successful donation drive on Saturday at Chowkidinghee town square, collecting reusable clothes, shoes, books, bags and other essential items from citizens eager to support underprivileged communities during the winter season.The initiative, conducted from 10am to 2pm, forms part of a comprehensive waste management and social welfare campaign backed by the Govt of Assam, Swachh Bharat Mission, Shrishti Waste Management Services and Association for People’s Upliftment and Nurturing (APUN). The programme aims to promote sustainable practices while ensuring essential resources reach vulnerable populations struggling with plummeting temperatures.Dibrugarh deputy mayor Ujjal Phukon who was present during the drive expressed satisfaction with the community’s overwhelming response to the appeal. “The response from the people of Dibrugarh was encouraging as they came out in large numbers to donate. The items will be given to the needy people. Particularly in the ongoing harsh winter season where the minimum temperature in Dibrugarh has been ranging between 8°C to 9°C, it will be helpful for the underprivileged people,” Phukon said.The timing of the donation drive proves especially critical as Dibrugarh experiences one of its coldest spells in recent weeks. According to India Meteorological Department data, minimum temperatures have consistently remained in single digits throughout late Dec and early Jan, with readings dipping as low as 7.8°C. The sustained cold wave has created urgent demand for warm clothing and blankets among economically disadvantaged residents.The RRR centre’s initiative addresses multiple objectives simultaneously. By encouraging citizens to donate reusable items rather than discarding them, the programme reduces landfill waste and promotes environmental consciousness. Simultaneously, it provides a structured mechanism for redistributing functional goods to those who need them most, creating tangible social impact.“By giving a second life to usable items, the programme seeks to reduce landfill waste while ensuring that essential resources reach those in need. The collected donations will undergo sorting and quality assessment at the RRR centre,” the organisers said.