Officials of Global Shapers Community Kohima along with the
panelist during a dialogue series on “The future is now” in Kohima on Friday.
KOHIMA — The need
for promoting public transport as an alternative to private vehicle use took centre
stage at a discourse held in Kohima on Friday, even as traffic congestion and
air pollution are worsening by the day amid increase in the number of vehicles.
Speaking at the dialogue series “The future is now,” hosted
by Global Shapers Community Kohima hub on the theme ‘Sustainable strategies for
a lasting impact’ at D Cafe, Kohima, Boka K Rochill, policy analyst and systems
innovator, advocated prioritising public transport to counter the growing
traffic woes caused by the increase in the number private vehicles.
As per the National Family Health Survey 2019-5 (2019-2021),
Nagaland state has the highest percentage of households that own a car in the
northeast region and in top six among the Indian states.
Speaking about sustainability, Rochill said public transport
enhances mobility and reduces vehicle emissions. The increase of vehicle also
affects waste management, particularly in hill stations, he said, citing the
challenge of collecting waste in Kohima, where vehicles are randomly parked on
the sides of the narrow roads.
Mentioning that Naga youth are naturally gifted, he stressed
the need to capitalise this human capital and ensure that they are equipped and
ready for all the changes around them.
Kevisato Sanyu, entrepreneur, educator, indigenous innovator
and founder of NagaEd, shared that nature provides an outstanding opportunity
for contemplation, reflection and renewal of the human spirit.
Speaking on the theme of the dialogue, he shared that one
needs to experience the nature to understand its intrinsic value, asserting
that a person who grows up in a city with no experience of nature may find
difficult to understand its value.
Research shows that children who experience nature before
the age of 8 years old understand the concept of sustainable development and
nature better than those without such an experience, when explained to them
later in life, he shared.
He also said that Northeast as a whole is seen as a buffer
state or as a place for natural resource extraction and “so we need to explain
to the policy makers who may not have had experience with nature, that nature
is important.” “Your experience with nature affects your world view and how you
perceive and your values,” he added.
Another speaker, Theja Tsukru, architect and AEC entrepreneur,
sharing about his experience with Kohima Smart City project as an architect,
said that the project deals with many interesting policies and ventures
including development of children parks in all the 19 wards of Kohima, adding
that six pocket parks have been completed.
Tsukru went on to say that ideas, inputs and grievances of
citizens, especially who would be directly affected are incorporated into the
smart city mission if feasible.
Updating about the solid waste management plant at Lerie
Kohima, he said it has the capacity to handle about 120 tonnes of waste, while
Kohima currently produces about 70-90 tonnes daily. As the present facility may
not be able to handle waste 10-15 years from now, he said the Kohima Smart City
is collaborating with KFW, a German development bank, and AFD, a France public
development bank to roll out the 3.0 project very soon to address the impending
waste crisis.
