Nagaland: Challenges to water, sanitation to magnify, says CM Zeliang

Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Wednesday said that challenges related to water and sanitation will magnify in the future due to an ever growing urban population, needing to share already insufficient and poorly managed resources.

Launching the National Sanitation Awareness Campaign for Nagaland, Zeliang said most of the urban poor tend to be excluded from these sanitation services. "This is the primary cause of water contamination and water-borne diseases," he said, adding that improving the water and sanitation problem in an urban setting is not an easy task, as the required infrastructure, either new or upgraded, are restricted.

"It must also be able to sustain future urban development and expansion," he said. "This calls for strong legislation, guidelines, and building codes, which can only be instituted and monitored by national and local governments," he said.

Launching the National Sanitation Awareness Campaign for Nagaland, Zeliang said most of the urban poor tend to be excluded from these sanitation services.

He called upon the all tribal organisations, churches, village councils and the VDBs to be involved in implementation of this programme. Capacity building for Anganwadi workers and school teachers may also be undertaken, he said while suggesting that a simple guide book can be made, containing accurate and relevant messages, information and knowledge content, under various themes, such as, personal hygiene, use of toilets, safe storage and handling of water, hand washing after defecation, hand washing before and after taking food and environmental sanitation including management of waste.
The awareness campaign commencing today would be held throughout the state and culminate on October 31, said Chief Engineer of PHED, Kevisekho Kruse.