State agencies join in nationwide survey project

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 6 : Technology has been a boon for connecting the rural populations to and the urban regions of India. The Narendra Modi government constantly touts itself to be a government that leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making use of technology. On Saturday, August 6, the Ministry of Urban Development took to the podium to launch another initiative, dubbed the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2017.’ The event connected with regional developmental agencies and concerns through a video conference. Swachh Survekshan 2017 is a survey project that is to be conducted in 500 cities. Dimapur joined in the event on Saturday with an inaugural workshop on the Swacch Survekshan–or, at least for the day, through a video conference at the Dimapur deputy commissioner’s video conference hall. Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu defined the surname of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “Making of Developed India” (MODI). He remarked that Modi wanted to convert Swachh Bharat Mission into a people’s movement and not a political movement. The minister has requested the media to ‘cooperate with this movement’ as it was ‘people’s movement and not a political movement.’ “Mayors, municipal chairpersons, municipal commissioners and other concerned officials from these 500 cities and towns from 324 districts of the country are connected with us from respective district headquarters as we launch Swachh Survekshan-2017 today,” said Naidu specifically to media persons during the conference. Naidu also posed question to the elected and executive chiefs of 500 urban local bodies about whether they were ‘doing enough to transform this new found awareness about sanitation into substantial outcome.’ “Out of 500 cities 115 cities have reported to have achieved ‘Open Defecation Free’ status and another 793 cities and towns are set to become so by March next year,” Naidu said. While expediting construction works the government’s municipal leaders should spend more time meeting the people, interacting with them and motivating them ‘toward using toilets and desist from open defecation,’ Naidu said in another advice. “These 500 cities to be ranked after this round of Survey account for about 70% of urban population in the country. The results of this survey will help us understand the scenario regarding sanitation in urban India, the distance travelled since the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission and the distance still to be travelled towards achieving the goal of ‘Open Defecation Free’ and Swachh Urban India.” Naidu also explained that through the video conference, his aim was ‘to reach out to the elected and executive chiefs of these 500 cities and towns sharing the government’s views and concerns and to motivate them into stepping up their efforts to ensure a clean urban India.’ Dimapur district administrators, Dimapur Municipal Council Officials, municipal health officers and officials from the chief medical officer’s establishment attended the Swachh Survekshan videoconferencing event. Kohima town With 500 AMRUT cities spread across 363 districts in India, authorities of Kohima town also attended the launch through a video conference at the NIC in the capital town on the 6th. The launching programme for Swachh Survekshan-2017 was conducted from Delhi where representative of 500 cities attended the Video Conference from NIC Centres located at their respective district headquarters. In Kohima city, Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Rovilatuo Mor IAS along with Secretary Urban Development, Ahola Those; Administrator KMC, Kovi Meyase; Officers from Urban Development and District Administration and other concerned officials attended the launching programme. Earlier in Kohima town, the deputy director for Urban Development, Tarachu Fithu, gave two PowerPoint presentations on the concepts of Swachh Survekshan and landfill bio-mining in Kumbakonam. Tarachu also informed that Swachh Survekshan is basically a conduct of survey for ranking of clean cities across India with the objective to create awareness about the importance of working together towards making our towns and cities better places to live in. The first round of Swachh Survekshan was held during the month of January 2016 rating 73 cities including Kohima city where Kohima city was ranked 69, he informed. Tarachu further informed that the second round of Swachh Survekshan will be held during January 2017 for which the kick-off workshop has been convened, which will be followed by a sensitization programme in different wards under Kohima city. (Inputs: DPRO, Kohima)