Nagaland KMC holds awareness programme on NCAP 2024-25

The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC), in collaboration with Ward No. 17, organised an awareness programme on the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) 2024–25 at Forest Community Hall under the theme “Act Now: No Planet B — Every Choice Matters for Our Earth.”
Speaking as the first resource person on the topic “Ambient Air Quality,” junior scientific assistant at the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB), Rongsenben Longkumer, delivered an in-depth presentation on the importance of maintaining clean air and the need for continued monitoring under the NCAP.
She explained that ambient air quality refers to the quality of the air in the surrounding environment, which directly impacts human health, vegetation, and overall ecosystem balance.
Longkumer noted that poor air quality contributes to respiratory illnesses, asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular problems, and premature deaths. She stressed that factors such as vehicular emissions, construction dust, open waste burning, and the use of biomass for cooking are major contributors to air pollution in urban areas like Kohima.
Encouraging citizens to adopt proactive measures, she highlighted the importance of planting trees, reducing personal vehicle use, maintaining vehicles in good condition, and avoiding unnecessary idling of engines. She also underlined that community awareness and participation are vital in achieving the objectives of the NCAP, which aims to reduce air pollution levels by up to 40% by 2026.
The second resource person, junior scientific assistant, NPCB, Y. Hanpong Konyak, spoke on “Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE),” an initiative introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage sustainable living. Konyak elaborated that Mission LiFE seeks to shift from a “use-and-dispose” culture to a “mindful and deliberate” approach of consumption. He said that individuals can make meaningful contributions to the environment through simple, everyday actions—using public transportation, walking or cycling short distances, carpooling, segregating waste at source, and adopting energy-efficient appliances.
He also urged citizens to conserve electricity by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, to choose eco-friendly products, and to minimise the use of single-use plastics. “Our small daily choices collectively define the health of our planet,” he remarked, adding that Nagaland, being rich in biodiversity, must set an example of responsible environmental stewardship.
Earlier, the programme was led by Peter K. Rengma, chairman, Forest Colony Council, and began with an invocation by Hormila, followed by a welcome address delivered by Khrielievi Chüsi, Deputy Chairman of KMC. Vote of thanks was delivered by Nzinimo Lotha.