DIMAPUR, May 28 - With 89 per cent households having access to toilets, Nagaland is one of the better performing States in India as far as sanitation status is concerned.
However, addressing issues like safe solid and liquid waste management and engaging communities for operation and maintenance of sanitation units remain a challenge for the State. This was observed at a day-long seminar on Swachh Bharat organised under the banner �Exploring Synergies between Government, Corporates and Community in Sanitation� at Civil Secretariat hall in Kohima recently.
The seminar was organised with the aim to achieve Open Defecation Free status by Department of Public Health Engineering (PHE), Nagaland along with Tata Trusts, Mumbai.
With the increased focus on sanitation, several agencies and stakeholders have started to collaborate for sustainable sanitation solution in various States including Nagaland, according to a release from Tata Water Mission today.
Speaking in the seminar, Secretary, PHE, Government of Nagaland, Dr Maong Wati Aier informed that six districts of the State will become Open Defecation Free (ODF) by June, 2017 while underlining the developments in the sanitation sector in the State.
Nagaland Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Hiranya Borah, community leaders, Brand Ambassadors of Nagaland of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), DCs, PHE engineers, officials from Tata Trusts and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) were present in the seminar.
Collaborative activities undertaken by PHE and North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA), an initiative of Tata Trusts, were discussed in the seminar.
Delivering the inaugural address, Hiranya Borah dwelt on the importance of improving sanitation status in Nagaland to attain improved health indicators. He said in Nagaland, sanitation habits are inherent in comparison to many other States of the country. He was confident that Nagaland can achieve ODF status soon.
Biswanath Sinha, Associate Director, Tata Trusts, highlighted the efforts of Tata Trust and NEIDA in Nagaland while Divyang Waghela, Thematic Lead, Tata Water Mission highlighted the work of the Trust in drinking water and sanitation sector in the country including Nagaland. Tata Trusts has also appointed seven Zilla Swachh Bharat Preraks (District Managers) in seven districts of Nagaland � Tuensang, Zuneboto, Phek, Longleng, Kiphire, Mokokchong and Dimapur � who are working closely with PHE to make these districts ODF.
Around 150 stakeholders from the State including DCs, village elders and private sector were present at the deliberations in order to chalk out the way forward for the Swacch Bharat Mission in Nagaland.
Nagaland Chief Secretary during the valedictory session appreciated the contribution of Tata Trust in SBM and acknowledged the model of the Development Support Partners. The government can achieve the milestones with due support from partner like Tata Trusts in mobilising the community at the ground level, he said.