Minister Temjen Imna Along, MLA Dr Tseilhoutuo (Ato) Rhütso and others during ‘KAM- cleanliness drive’ held at Kisama on April 19. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kisama | April 19
Politicians, government agency, para military force, college students and like-minded individuals today came together and cleaned Naga Heritage Village, Kisama under the banner of ‘KAM-cleanliness drive.’
Kisama, which lies around 10 km from Nagaland’s state capital Kohima, is a venue of the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.
Today’s cleanliness drive was joined by Nagaland’s Tourism & Higher Education Minister, Temjen Imna Along, MLA Dr Tseilhoutuo (Ato) Rhütso, Commissioners & Secretary for Tourism, I Kitto Zhimomi, 1st Assam Rifles commandant Col. Umesh Sati, Tourism Director Keduosie-ii Metha among the others.
Officers and staff of tourism department, jawans of 1st Assam Rifles and students of Japfii Christian College Kigwema and Kohima College, Kohima also joined the drive.
Call for social work every month
“It is a time we take responsibility of our state, for our people and for our environment,” said Imna Along while addressing the gathering.
When we want the world to come to Nagaland, when we want the people to love us, when we want the people to see the way we live, our culture and traditions, I appeal to all the people to the state, to kindly make an effort to keep our villages and towns clean, the minister said.
On behalf of the state government, chief minister of Nagaland and department of tourism, Imna Along expressed happiness over the collective effort to ensure a clean environment and appealed everyone to keep the Naga Heritage village pristine, clean and lovely. Further, the minister appealed all the colleges in around Kohima to come forward and conduct social work once in a month to keep Kohima clean.
‘Keep Kisama clean year round’
Dr Keneilhoulie Medom, owner of Medom’s BNB said that with Kisama being one such tourist attraction and a model village representing all the tribe houses, it gives the tourists a peek into Naga culture. However, other than Hornbill festivity time, the place lacks proper sanitation with plastic wrappers and wastes everywhere.
“I deem it our responsibility that we ourselves should clean our home and not an outsider of our home and that is why have come today to kick off this ‘KAM- Cleanliness drive’ in Kisama,” said Medom.
KAM-Cleanliness drive is a non profitable drive, which is solely based, organized and operated for a collective and public benefit only, he stated.
He said that tourism is the window to Nagaland, adding that the world sees, feels and tastes the mysterious beauty, diverse culture and tradition, unique food habits through tourism.
Tourism is not just 10 day of Hornbill festival. Now, tourism has become a year- round affair in Nagaland, he said adding “High end tourists are coming after the Hornbill, so it is so important to keep Kisama clean year round.” Apart from 1st AR, 50 jawans of 164 TA Battalion from Zakhama including 30 IRB personnel from Haryana who are currently in 1st AR camp also joined the cleanliness drive.
