Project end consultative meeting held in Kma

A project end consultative meeting between the land resource department (LRD), rural development (RD) department and Northeast Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA) was held here, on Wednesday.

In his opening remark, commissioner and secretary LRD Vikeyie Kenya said that just as the world talked about climate change, water scarcity, etc., Nagaland also experienced the same with change in the rainfall pattern as seen this ensuing monsoon.

He said human exploitation in the form of jhumming, rapid urbanisation, road construction, firewood trading, logging etc., added problems for water conservation leading to depletion of underground water.

In this regard, Vikeyie said there was a need to restore and recharge springs through different approach and the springshed had become an important programme.

He said that LRD initiative on springshed development programme in the state during 2016-17 recharged the underground aquifers by using appropriate engineering, vegetative or social measures while ensuring water quality of the spring water through community-led management of springsheds.

To scale up springshed development in the state, LRD partnered with RD department, NEIDA, people’s science institute Dehradun and ACWADAM Pune under the theme multi-stakeholder to provide drinking water security through springshed management in 100 villages in rural areas covering all the then 11 districts.

With doable policy support at national and state levels on springshed management in hilly region, he hoped that the springshed management would ensure water security and turn vulnerable communities into “climate smart” communities.  

In his address, LRD director, Renben Lotha highlighted convergence programmes conducted over the years and said with the amount of rainfall Nagaland received and if the springshed were identified and managed well, there would not be any shortage of water.

He informed that LRD did not have monopoly with intellectual or economic resources and that it had singed memorandum of understanding with Kohima Science College.

RD director Liboni Humtsoe said even as RD had limited for convergence since the traditional ways were drying up, the department must carry out projects intensively and assured to join hands with NEIDA and allied department.

She informed that challenges should not be a hindrance to save the environment and resources and insisted for proper coordination, planning, funding and verification at ground level.

Also speaking at the programme, NEIDA state coordinator, Sentimongla Kechuchar said the agency may not have all the resources however, successful implementation in 106 villages have proved that despite being in different department it could come together for water security in the state.

In his closing remark commissioner and secretary RD, Neposo Theluo said the department have covered water stress blocks and villages and there was a need to go for promotion of farming and agricultural actives.

For any convergence he advised that partners should fulfil the commitments and reminded that regular coordination programme was very important for implementing the project successfully.