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AAN members and New Chumukedima village youth during the cleanliness drive at Chathe river near PHED dam on January 14.[/caption]
Dimapur, Jan. 14: The Anglers Association of Nagaland (AAN) on Saturday morning initiated a cleanliness drive at Chathe river near the PHED dam at New Chumukedima village. AAN members were joined by youth from New Chumukedima village in cleaning the area and planting tree saplings.
Saturday’s initiative was part of the AAN’s ‘Clean water bodies’ mission. The association has adopted the mission with the objective of maintaining ‘ecological integrity and overall health of the water bodies throughout Nagaland by launching cleanliness drives of fresh water resources along with associated catchment areas, spearheaded by the angling community of Nagaland’.
“While it is difficult to chronicle the exact environmental status of all water bodies, it is an established fact that all of them are suffering from varied degrees of environmental degradation. One of the main causes established for the impaired condition of these water bodies is the organic pollution from human settlement spread over the catchment area of these water bodies,” according to the general secretary of AAN, Phukato Sumi.
The deterioration of the health of these water bodies is in turn affecting the bio-diversity dependent on the health of these eco-systems, he said. “Many of these water bodies, especially the ones situated in urban setting have altogether lost their productive capacity in terms of indigenous fish population and are sustained through artificial introduction.
“As such the deteriorating environment of the water bodies across Nagaland is a cause of major concern for everyone. Angling is a fast developing sport in our society and all over the world, and the sport of the angling community depends entirely on the health of these water bodies,” he said.
Sumi said that the association identified the PHED dam area for its cleanliness drive since it was frequented by people for picnics and outings.
He also listed some features of the Nagaland Fisheries Regulation (Rules, 2008 concerning prohibition on pollution of streams, lakes, rivers and river systems, prohibition on encroachment of government fisheries, rivers, lakes, wetlands, declaration of closed season for fishing in private streams, rivers/river systems, prohibition on rearing banned fish species and duties of the village functionaries.
Some officials from the state’s department of Soil and Water Conservation were also present during the cleanliness drive.
