Members of Songlhuh and Inbung villages under Peren district participated in the “contest for infrastructure for nature conservation” on Tuesday.
The contest was held under “Forest & Biodiversity Management in the Himalaya, Nagaland” project and conducted by the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED), under the banner of Financial Participatory Approach (FPA).
The members of the two villages participated in the contest by sharing their ideas and concepts on how to conserve nature through infrastructure, depending on needs and requirements of respective villages. A jury with village heads and council members were also selected to decide and deliberate on winning concepts, with implementing agencies.
At Songlhuh village, around 15 members of the community took part in the contest where rainwater harvesting was the winning concept to be implemented at the village.
Meanwhile at Inbung village, village footpath and solar street lights were considered as winning concepts.
Altogether, five winners each from the villages received cash awards for first, second, third, fourth and fifth positions along with certificates. It may be mentioned that the project is co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW (German Development Bank) with an eight-year (2019-26) programme to be executed by Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB) as nodal department through two PIA—NEPED and Forest department with each PIA taking care of 35 villages.
The winning concepts would be sanctioned Rs 3.5 lakh by KfW.
NEPED Project Operation Unit (POU) member, Er L Moamanen Imchen informed that the objective was to promote sustainable and effective management of forests and biodiversity in the state, support improved connectivity and conservation of biodiversity among others.
He said the target project area included 12 Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) in five districts—Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha, Peren and Kohima, covering 70 villages.
He said Nagaland was lone state in India where FPA approach was implemented and added that India was one among the few countries where the approach is being tried. He also informed that sanctioned money would be handed directly to villages for implementation of the project. Meanwhile, NEPED POU member, Er Renbenthung Humtsoe while addressing the gathering at both villages urged upon the members to take opportunity of the funds provided as the villages could excel in conserving nature and bring development.
