Kohima gets to work on behind-the-glamour urban garbage

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 23 (EMN): In a major effort to make capital town Kohima—the self-professed ‘mirror of Nagaland’—a cleaner place and to promote cleanliness in the environment there, the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) cleared the capital’s clogged drains and behind-the-town environments, on March 23, in Kohima.

The municipal organisation collaborated with citizens of wards 12-16 for the clean-up programme.
The five wards are upper Chandmari (ward 12); lower Chandmari (13); Porter Lane or Dzüvürü (14); Accountant General Colony (15); and New Ministers’ Hill, Lerie, Dairy Farm (16).

The objective of the work was to clean the wards connecting with Dzüvürü stream, the KMC’s administrator Kovi Meyase said.

The amount of trash and garbage being disposed into the stream is “humongous,” he observed. ‘Clogged drains aren’t only ugly, eyesores, but health and environment hazards.’ In addition, aquatic life and vegetation will be adversely affected downstream, he said.

“It calls for an immediate and effective intervention from all concerned agencies. More so, keeping in view the fragile geological composition of the city,” Meyase said.

Saying that the task was enormous and cannot be tackled in a single day’s work, he appealed for concerted efforts from all stakeholders: government, allied departments, agencies, and the public etc. He assured that the council had been engaged in cleaning activities consistently, alongside sensitisation campaigns.

The number of people who turned out for the community work was “impressive,” which in turn is an indication of the ‘rising level of awareness among the public,’ he said.

‘No to plastic, yes to clean election’ campaign
In collaboration with the Music Task Force of the Youth Resource and Sports department, the KMC organised a concert as part of the environmental campaign ‘No to plastic, yes to clean election’ campaign.

The concert began on March 20, and will be culminating on April 6. The concert aims at spreading awareness about the health hazards that plastic can cause on people, animals and the environment.

The campaign also aims to garner support for clean election, keeping in view the forthcoming Lok Sabha and by-elections to the 26th Aonglenden assembly constituency in Mokokchung district election around the corner.

Various bands and artistes are performing during the entire concert. It includes the Chakhesang Baptist Church Choir, Lerie Baptist Church Choir; Music Academy Kohima, Little Tune Home; Senti (Cotton Country Band); Assembly of God Church choir; Dahil Fithu and Band; Ivy Entertainment, Getnet, Dieze, Muno Shiu and The Noswes, among others.