Improvised Traffic Control System launched in Dimapur

To ensure smooth flow of traffic and improve air quality, the Dimapur Traffic Police (DTP) launched the Improvised Traffic Control System (ITCS) under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) at Holy Cross Point and Nagarjan junction, here on Tuesday.
On January 10, 2019, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the NCAP as a national-level strategy outlining the actions for reducing the levels of air pollution at city and regional scales in the Country.
Speaking briefly at the launching programme, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Dimapur, Kevithuto Sophie, informed that the traffic lights were installed at Holy Cross and Nagarjan junction since the two intersections faced heavy traffic jam. CP said that ITCS would be controlled manually from the traffic point control room.
Sophie expressed gratitude to the NPCB and the department of environment and climate change for sponsoring the global concept of ‘Cleaning the environment to a certain extent’. CP stated that DTP was selected among the six implementing agencies for the project. He said that even though many people talk about air pollution not many contributed in controlling the pollution. CP has, therefore, called upon the citizens for bringing behavioural change and take responsibility for clean environment and abide by traffic rules and signals.
Also, speaking at the programme, Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) member secretary and NCAP state nodal officer K. Hukato Chishi, said that under NCAP the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had sets standards for air quality in all cities and town across all states.
He stated that Dimapur Pollution Control Board (DPCB) has seven Respirable Dust Samplers (RDS) and Kohima has three RDSs. He said NPCB carries out air analysis and sends to CPCB. However, Chishi stated that based on the data submitted by the NPCB, Dimapur and Kohima had not met the air quality standards set by CPCB. He disclosed that while the air quality of Kohima had been improving, but the quality of Dimapur has decreased.
Acknowledging the CP and his team for coming up with such improvised traffic control system, the nodal officer said that such initiative was important because when there were intersections in any of the cities or towns, it causes heavy traffic emitting smoke and caused air pollution.
He pointed out that this was where the police department particularly traffic department should play their role to improve the air quality.
Further, Chishi informed that under NCAP there were around six departments as implementing agencies such as DMC, district administration, police department, ADC Chümoukedima, forest department. He said that flower pots placed along clock tower stretch road divider was based on the concept of vertical garden to improvise the air quality by absorbing the dust in the surrounding.
He expressed hope that if the departments under NCAP worked together as a team, the objectives would be accomplished.
The programme was chaired by ACP (T) Dimapur Ngimchule Nampeung, invocation was given by Dimapur Police Baptist Church pastor, Rev. Rakhu Livi.