Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, MARCH 16
With the government of India endeavouring toward a clean India by year 2019, water and sanitation have assumed greater importance.
To accelerate awareness in the villages on issues of sanitation and rural drinking water, along with the union territories across the country, the National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness week got underway on Wednesday at the PHED in Kohima town. Minister for PHE Tokheho Yepthomi was the chief guest of the event. The programme will culminate on March 22 coinciding World Water Day.
The campaign focuses on spreading awareness about Swachch Bharat Mission to keep villages clean, build, and use toilets, emphasize hand-washing with soap, safe handling and storage of drinking water, and water conservation so one by involving the grassroots.
Briefly highlighting the purpose of the campaign, Yepthomi said that the creation of water and sanitation facilities alone were not enough unless people were well-informed and educated about the proper use, conservation of water, and maintenance of said assets. Due to rise of industrialisation, he said, water is increasingly being polluted; it is causing hazards to health.
He emphasised on the need to raise public awareness about the risks of consuming unsafe water, and impart scientifically-sound and hygienic practices. Likewise, he sought increasing awareness on various steps and precautions to prevent contamination of drinking water, to which, he said, was the urgent need of the hour.
Appreciating the department for strategizing implementation, the minister said providing water and sanitation facilities to villages and habitation in the state and making them sustainable was not an easy task, considering lack of sufficient financial resources, ‘in spite of grants from Government of India.’
Nonetheless, Yepthomi asserted the department needs to optimize all its available financial and human resources, and incorporate an environment friendly and cost effective techniques and designs, while aiming to achieve the National goals and timelines on water and sanitation.
He is optimistic that under the leadership of TR Zeliang, chief minister, it will be able to provide sage and adequate drinking water to its citizen, and try its best to achieve total sanitation, the goal of Swachch Bharat by 2019. He also sought the continued liberal support and assistance of all the stakeholders in this campaign.
In his keynote address, Er Kevisekho Kruse, Chief Engineer PHED, said the importance of drinking water and sanitation cannot be over emphasized, and added the issue of judicious use of water and water conservation has assumed greater importance today in view of the effects of deforestation and climate change.
He also informed that closing functions are to be systematically conducted in all the districts and that executive engineers are to create short documentaries about the activities of the campaign and report to the directorate.
It may be mentioned that under NRDWP and Swachch Bharat Mission (Gramin), the Nagaland PHED has so far provided full water supply cover to 566 habitations, partial coverage to 898 habitations and provided water supply to 2046 government schools in the rural areas of the state.
In an effort to make Nagaland 100% open defecation-free (ODF), the department has provided 1,85,975 Individual household latrines, 354 community sanitary complexes and 7 units of Solid Liquid Waste Management. The department has also identified 161 villages as ODF with many villages on the verge of achieving the status.
The department also implemented Rejuvenation of Traditional Wells, Roof Top Rain Water Harvesting (RTRWH) schemes, Surface Water or Monsoon Run off Harvesting and Solar Powered Water Supply schemes, where normal gravity based water schemes are not viable.
Besides, under the Sustainability Component of NRDWP, a total of 213 various sustainability structures are being targeted for completion during 2015-16, while 162 more would be earmarked for construction during 2016-2017.
Secretary to the PHED, Anenla S Longchari, also said that unless people are well-informed and educated on proper use and maintenance of assets, the department’s effort will be in vain. Stating that awareness was the first step toward change, Longchari urged citizens to get involved, engaged and take action, and to be ambassadors for a clean Nagaland. ‘Be part of the movement to create awareness in Nagaland, because your dream city starts with a clean city and a healthy Nagaland starts with clean water,’ she added.
