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Konyak leaders hold up a banner declaring ban on a number of solutions and stuff that are detrimental to health and environment.[/caption]
Dimapur, September 1 : The Konyak Union has announced a community initiative, dubbed the “Declaration day”, which was observed on Thursday in Mon town, to move towards a healthier and environmentally-conscious community lifestyle.
The union issued a note on Thursday informing about the observance of said day, which was marked by “banning all those substances” (environmentally detrimental solutions and applied stuff), and declared to be enforceable within the union’s jurisdiction from now on.
Besides community members, officials of the district administration and the police, and members of the local civil society led by the Konyak Students’ Union, the Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Ukhong, the Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum, and the Chamber of Commerce of Mon, attended the event, the organizers informed in a press release.
The Konyak Union has censured non-biodegradable polythene bags, bleaching powder, pesticides, and non-iodized salt. Bans on said substances have been announced by the organization.
Ban on plastic bags ‘or polythene bags’
The union stated the “excess waste materials caused by ignorant and random usage of plastic or polythene bags”. Polythene bags being a non-biodegradable substance and takes thousands of years to decompose completely. This has an adverse effect on soil and on the food chain directly and indirectly. The Konyak Union has banned plastic or polythene bags from September 1.
Restrictions on use of bleaching powder
The organization has also noted the need to preserve ‘aquatic species.’ The use of bleaching powders or calcium hypochlorite is causing ‘great hazard’ not only to aqu life but even on the one who consumes fish killed by bleaching powder. The Konyak Union has “out rightly” declared bleaching powder illegal.
‘Complete ban on pesticide’
“Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reaches a destination other their target species as its is being sprayed or spread across the entire agricultural field. Pesticides causes a drastic change in the soil health which lowers the nutritional value of the food ultimately affecting human health,” the union stated. The union stated that “most studies on non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukaemia showed positive association with pesticides exposure.
Complete ban on non-iodized salt
The union has also banned non-iodized salt considering the ill effect it causes in the rural Konyak villages. The union declared ‘complete restriction on import or sell of non iodized salt within its jurisdiction.’ The union has also directed commercial establishments and shops to stop importing or selling said item. Failure to comply would force the Konyak Union to ‘take stern capital action for non compliance to its directives.’
The union has appealed to all its 11 units of the Konyak Union to strictly ‘comply with its directives’ to “felicitate in achieving our sole vision for preservation, prevention and protection of health and environment.”
The Konyak Union also ‘empowered’ the village councils, Konyak Loung and Anghs to pursue the ‘directive.’
“The union also makes its fervent appeal to all its (sic) concern citizen to completely abstain / refrain from indulging or resorting to the use of such restricted substances which is declared as illegal within Konyak traditional jurisdiction. The law of the Konyaks shall be final and binding,” it added.
