NLA panel, KMC, KCCI deliberate on civic issues

The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Committee on Environment and Climate Change, led by its chairman Achumbemo Kikon, on Tuesday held a consultative meeting with Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) councillors, Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), and colony chairpersons to deliberate on sanitation and pollution issues in the state capital.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Kikon said the committee had earlier conducted similar interactions with municipal and town councils in Dimapur and Chümoukedima. He informed that the first resolution adopted during Tuesday’s meeting was to prohibit the discharge of septic waste into rivers and drainages within Kohima.
The chairman stated that concerns were raised regarding cesspool vehicles facing difficulties in accessing congested colonies. He said, colonies had been tasked with making provisions for passage and turning space for sanitation trucks to facilitate effective waste collection.
Kikon also pointed out that long-pending infrastructure projects need to be revived. He highlighted the faecal sludge treatment plant at Meriema, constructed with government investment worth hundreds of crores, which has yet to become operational. He said necessary paperwork would be processed for re-advertisement and that KMC would soon invite tenders to operationalise the facility.
Similarly, he said the recycling plant at Lerie colony, built at significant cost, would also be reactivated. He therefore urged the residents to adhere strictly to waste segregation at source by separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, to enable effective recycling and maintain city cleanliness.
Expressing concern over pollution of the Doyang River, Kikon said large amounts of plastic waste from Kohima were flowing downstream. He cautioned that unless Kohima was kept clean, the capital would end up contributing to the pollution of other towns and rivers. He therefore stressed the need for greater sensitisation among residents.
Calling for public cooperation, Kikon said the committee hoped to witness a change in mindset and practices among the people of Kohima. He remarked that residents of the capital, being among the most enlightened, were expected to set an example and bring about a sea change in waste management practices.