Mokokchung hopes for cleaner days with launch of Swachh

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, September 29

The “nation-wide sanitation campaign in Mokokchung district” under the Swachh Bharat Mission has been launched in the town on Tuesday. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung, Bendanglila, launched the sanitation program at the Longkumer Kilem. The inaugural event was organized by the Public Health Engineering department.
After formally launching the campaign, the guest of honor Bendanglila strongly urged sanitation workers and ward authorities to take the Swachh Bharat Mission ‘very seriously’, so that the objectives of the mission would be achieved in the town in particular and the state in general.
Highlighting often-repeated comments from visitors about the ‘cleanliness’ of Mokokchung town, Bendanglila however questioned the gatherer that whether the citizens of Mokokchung can really guarantee that the town was clean in the ‘true sense.’
In this connection, the official, who is also the administrator of Mokokchung Municipal Council, said that cleanliness in its ‘true sense’ meant not only clean houses or compounds, but about ‘how clean your surroundings are, especially the drainage the rivers and streams, the streets etc are.’
Bendanglila also lamented that the rivers in the areas of the district were polluted with waste materials ‘outnumbering even the fishes, which is affecting the natural environment.’ In this regard, she said that cleanliness was not confined to one’s house only but includes maintaining the natural environment and ecosystem ‘in a balanced manner through proper waste disposal management.’
The administrator also challenged the gathered ward authorities to especially take care of the drainage system in their localities. The drainage systems are meant to facilitate easy flow of water and not for dumping into it waste materials.
She also urged the citizens not to dump dead animals or toxic materials in the garbage dumps. This is for the wellbeing of citizens and the environment, she said, and encouraged the sanitation workers to avail the church platform to spread the message of the Swachh baharat Mission to the villagers.
Also addressing the gathering, the executive engineer of the PHED of Mokokchung division, N Yanger Pongen, talked about solid and liquid waste management. If solid and liquid waste are not managed properly, he said, the Swachh Bharat Mission would be a failure. He also administered the ‘Sanitation Pledge’ to the gathered audience, during which the audience pledged to maintain a clean, healthy and hygienic lifestyle and to spread the message to at least 100 persons each.
The chairman of All Wards’ Union of Mokokchung also exhorted the audience.
Peren district
Peren launches sanitation awareness campaign
PHED Peren Division, under the aegis of WSSO, has launched a nation- wide sanitation awareness campaign from September 25 – 31. The launching programme was held in the conference hall of the ADC Peren on September 26 with Tainiu, ADC, as the chief guest.
The inaugural programme was chaired by Er. Ichirang Zeliang, SDO PHED, Peren, while the innovation prayer was said by Irui Kenn, treasurer ZBCCYD.
The objective of the campaign was delivered by Er. Ichirang Zeliang, SDO PHED Peren. The action plan for month long awareness campaign was highlighted to create awareness in the village/ town across the district on issues related cleanliness and sanitation like construction and use of toilet, keeping the villages/ towns clean, awareness on safe disposal of solid and liquid waste and elimination of open defecation, also on the role of the community in keeping the village/ town surrounding, toilets and community toilets clean.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest emphasized on the importance of toilet and the health implication it has on the mass and laid stress on building and use of toilets, sensitization of best practices of sanitation, personal hygiene. She also encouraged the gathering to play an active role in the sanitation and cleanliness drive with an aim to improve the standard of living with a healthy and clean environment.
The chief guest launched the sanitation campaign in the presence of the town coucil chairmen, GBs, mothers’ association, women organization, students leaders, youth leaders, teachers and NGOs of the district and officers and staff of the department.
Er. J Mayangsashi, Executive Engineer PHED, Peren Division, welcomed the gathering and delivered a keynote address. The vote of thanks was delivered by Tiameren, JE PHED, Tening.
Fast Facts And Figures about sanitation and garbage in India
• About 0.1 million tonnes of municipal solid waste is generated in India every day. That is approximately 36.5 million tonnes annually.
• Per capita waste generation in major Indian cities ranges from 0.2 Kg to 0.6 Kg.
• Difference in per capita waste generation between lower and higher income groups range between 180 to 800 gm per day.
• The urban local bodies spend approximately Rs.500 to Rs.1500 per tonne on solid waste for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal. About 60-70% of this amount is spent on collection, 20-30% on transportation and less than 5% on final disposal.
• Calorific value of Indian solid waste is between 600 and 800 Kcal/Kg and the density of waste is between 330 and 560 Kg/m3.
• Waste collection efficiency in Indian cities ranges from 50% to 90%.
• Out of the total municipal waste collected, on an average 94% is dumped on land and 5% is composted.
• Over 1.5 million children under five die each year as a result of diarrhoea. It is the second most common cause of child deaths worldwide.
• Handwashing with soap at critical times – including before eating or preparing food and after using the toilet – can reduce diarrhoea rates by more than 40 per cent.
• Pneumonia, is the number one cause of mortality among children under five years old, taking the lives of an estimated 1.8 million children per year.
• Handwashing with soap has been cited as one of the most cost-effective interventions to prevent diarrhoeal related deaths and disease.
• New studies suggest that handwashing promotion in schools can play a role in reducing absenteeism among primary school children. In China, for example, promotion and distribution of soap in primary schools resulted in 54 per cent fewer days of absence among students compared to schools without such an intervention.