Morung Express News
Kohima | February 11
Costing Rs. 48.04 crores with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nagaland received its first Solid Waste Management Facility in Kohima, situated at Lerie. The facility which is said to be a first of its kind in the North East was inaugurated and commissioned on February 11 with Chief Minister T R Zeliang as the Chief Guest and S.I Jamir, Advisor, Urban Development as the Guest of Honor.
The project was taken up as a part of the North Eastern Regional Capital Cities Development Investment Program (NERCCDIP) of Government of India through the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) with State Investment Program Management Implementation Unit (SIPMIU) Nagaland as the Implementing Agency.
The contract is taken up by the M/s Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd. Hyderabad for execution with M/s Imsong Suppliers, Dimapur as the local associate of the contracting firm. The facility includes a compost plant able to generate manure at 50 tons/day from the biodegradable garbage, vehicle garages, a 42000 cubic meter capacity Sanitary landfill cell, facility to develop two more sanitary landfill cells in future, treatment plant to handle 75000 liters of leachate, electrical substation and diesel generator back up, rain water harvesting tank etc. It further includes vehicles/equipments including tractor mounted excavators with dozing attachment, backhoe with front end loader, vibratory roller, skid roller and tipper truck etc.
Er. Krosu Rhetso, Addl. Program Director, SIPMIU informed that the Ministry of Urban Development had approved a new subproject last year for the procurement of 35 garbage transportation vehicles, waste collection bins, dry waste sorting and re-use units etc for Rs. 11.70 crores.
While delivering the welcome address Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar stated that the project is a green project in all its aspects, and hoped that this will act as a model for other districts.
Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) Administrator Kovi Meyase stated that the facility is perhaps the first of its kind in the entire North East region which will help in mitigating waste.
Waste management should be everybody’s priority, he stated and appealed to the authorities to look in to areas of basic concerns such as requirements for additional primary transportation vehicles, additional manpower and workforce, operation and maintenance aspects of machineries, deputation of mechanical and electrical staff to the landfill site along with guided assistance and supervision during the second phase of the landfill.
Meanwhile Chief Minister T R Zeliang called for efficient and timely collection of municipal waste from the households and market places. He added that the solid waste management facility along with water and power supply, are criterion for Kohima’s hope to be included in the list of smart cities. “We want but we are failing in certain areas,” stated the Chief Minister who hoped that with the commissioning of the facility, Kohima would achieve at least eighty per cent of the criteria.
Admitting that the garbage collection of household wastes is not being done properly or regularly in many wards despite the provisions of garbage collection trucks to most of the wards, Zeliang urged the KMC to make serious efforts to improve their garbage collection system so that the solid waste management facilities receive regular supply of solid waste on a daily basis.
India being labeled as one of the dirtiest countries in the world, Zeliang requested the people of Nagaland to adopt cleanliness as a habit and way of life so that it becomes a part of lifestyles even without much deliberate effort. “Our problem will be resolved provided the people cooperate and municipal body carry forward the mission,” said Zeliang.
