EMN
Dimapur, March 17
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or third-world societies such as Indian, and indigenous communities such as the Naga people in Nagaland, the direct connection between sanitation and health is often overlooked. Often times, the two are different issues with distinct impacts. As a part of the country’s policy makers’ attempt to educated the masses – particularly the rural populations–about the benefits of correlating water, sanitation and a healthy environment, the annual sanitation week is already underway in Nagaland.Mon district has launched the National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week on Tuesday in the local football ground of the town. The vice president of the Mon Town Students’ Union, Chemong Konyak, was the chief guest of the event.
In his address to the gathering, Chemong talked about the importance of sanitation and hygienic living and outlined various methods of keeping homes and surroundings clean. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of worldwide diseases, he said. He called upon the gathering students to create awareness about safe drinking water and healthy lifestyles.
Konyak also informed that the main objective of sanitation was to protect and promote human health by providing clean environments, free from disease. He urged the gathering to keep the surroundings clean and make the environment a better place to live in.
Sub divisional officer (civil) of Tobu Toshi Yimchunger also spoke during the event. He spoke on the topic “Sanitation and water for all”. After the formal function, students marched to the town’s NST junction holding banners and placards as part of creating awareness about hygiene. Mokokchung readies for sanitation week
Along with the rest of the country, Mokokchung district has also launched the National Rural Drinking Water & Sanitation Awareness Week on March 17, in Sungkumen ward of Mokokchung town.
Speaking during the occasion, the deputy commissioner of Mokokchung, Sushil Kumar Patel, said that the two basic things without which one cannot live was water and sanitation. He said that if people integrated the two aspects, it had a larger meaning of qualitative living. He mentioned the need to educate people especially those in the rural areas, about the importance of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. Most diseases are spread through water and lack of proper sanitation, the administrator of the district said.
The deputy commissioner also said another important aspect to hygiene was to optimize the use of water. Unless the community is made aware about the scarce resource that was water, things would aggravate, he said. Patel thanked Sungkumen ward’s local authorities and students’ for their initiative and urged the people to make Mokokchung a cleaner and better town.
Executive Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department of Mokokchung, Yanger Pongen also addressed the gathering briefly.
Interestingly, Sungkumen Ward Youth Ministry is also undertaking a separate event, ‘Cleanliness & Sanitation Awareness,’ a yearlong social and cleanliness activity-driven event to mark the area’s 50th anniversary.
