Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 25
The nationwide sanitation program, Swachh Bharat Mission, was launched in Dimapur Friday, September 25, with a sanitation rally which was followed by a formal programme with deputy commissioner of the district Kesonyu Yhome (IAS) as the chief guest.
Citing the first most important step towards clean environment as ‘clean mind and clean soul’, Kesonyu Yhome highlighted that the confinement within a small society can never bring changes but should broaden ones hearts.
He said sanitation is not about social work or gathering and discussing but it is a way of life which should begin from within. He said the need to develop ones personality and character is a must as education alone cannot bring any positive changes in the society.
During the launching programme, he encouraged and challenged to students present to groom oneself and grow into a matured peace loving society inorder to witness positive changes taking place in the society.
He also said every class/group of people, be it the youths, families, society, etc. should broaden the hearts and strive for a better tomorrow while respecting every religion.
Superintendent Engineer, PHED Dimapur Circle, T. Sangtam in his keynote address said that for the campaign to be a successful one, it is important to involve the government and public sector officials at every level along with the NGOs and all groups and organizations. He said ‘there is a need for creating massive public awareness and participation in cleanings homes, govt offices, railway stations,……’
He encouraged all to take active participation for the cause as the Swachh Bharat Award is said to include various categories like individuals, Institutions, Gram Panchayats/Village Councils, Districts, States who do exceptional work, etc.
Hundreds of school children from four schools took active participation in the rally with slogans that read ‘If everyone would clean their own doorstep, the whole world be clean- by Mother Teresa, cleanliness is happiness, etc. while marching from Government School Nagarjan till Town Hall Dimapur.
A special skit on the present need of the society towards sanitation and its awareness were presented by Dreamz Unlimited.
The four schools were Christian Higher Secondary School, St. Mary Montessari School, Government Higher Secondary School Nagarjan and Government High School Lengrijan.
The launching of the programme was organized by PHED rural division Dimapur and sponsored by WSSO PHED, Nagaland.
The nation-wide sanitation campaign will mark its conclusion on October 11.
Citizens’ Factfile: 7 Facts you should definitely know about
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2014 at Rajghat in New Delhi.
• The national campaign led by the Government of India is covering 4041 statutory towns across India and aims to make the streets, roads and infrastructure clean by October 2, 2019 (Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary)
• The mission is estimated to cost around 62,009 crore rupees, of which 14,623 crore rupees will be borne by the Union Government
• The urban component of the mission is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Urban Development and is India’s biggest ever cleanliness drive. Around three million government employees and school and college students of India participated in the event in its initial phase. However, the rural component of the mission will be implemented by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
• The mission was started by Prime Minister Modi, who, on December 25, 2014, nominated nine famous personalities for the campaign. They took up the challenge and nominated nine more people. Thereafter, it has been carried forward with people from all walks of life joining it. The nine public figures selected by Modi to propagate the mission include:
• Comedian Kapil Sharma, Former captain of Indian cricket team Sourav Ganguly, Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, Padmanabha Acharya, Nagaland Governor Sonal Mansingh, classical dancer Ramoji Rao of Eenadu group and Aroon Purie of the India Today group
• The goal also includes the elimination of open defecation, conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, eradicating of manual scavenging and Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM).
• Major components of the goal:
a) Construction of individual sanitary latrines for households below the poverty line with subsidy (80 percent) where demand exists
b) Conversion of dry latrines into low-cost sanitary latrines
c) Construction of exclusive village sanitary complexes for women providing facilities for hand pumping, bathing, sanitation and washing on a selective basis where there is not adequate land or space within houses and where village panchayats are willing to maintain the facilities
d) Setting up of sanitary marts
e) Total sanitation of villages through the construction of drains, soakage pits, solid and liquid waste disposal
f) Intensive campaign for awareness generation and health education to create a felt need for personal, household and environmental sanitation facilities.
• This would cover 1.04 crore households, provide 2.5 lakh seats of community toilets, 2.6 lakh seats of public toilets and solid waste management facility for all towns.
