Kohima Smart City builds Unity Park

Our Correspondent
Kohima | October 22

Nagaland Urban Development & Municipal Affairs, Advisor Dr Neikiesalie Kire inaugurated Unity Park at Kohima Cathedral junction, New Minister’s Hill, Kohima on October 22.

This park was developed by Kohima Smart City Development Limited (KSCDL) under ‘Street for People’ and ‘Nurturing Neighborhood Intervention.’

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kire expressed happiness to KSCDL for setting up such park in the state capital Kohima.

He stressed on the need to install proper lightings as well as toilet facilities around the park, and assured to assist the same. He requested the colony panchayat to give authority to the youth organization to maintain the park. Youth have to come forward and take the responsibility, he said.

KSCDL Chief Executive Officer, Er K Theunuo said that  in response to COVID-19 pandemic, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has initiated some interventions like Street for people, Cycle for change and Nurturing neighbourhood challenge to inspire the cities in India to create walking-friendly streets, pedestrian and cycling facilities, public spaces with child-friendly interventions.

“This initiative is taken up in different stages in collaboration with Benard Van Leer Foundation and World Resources Institute (WRI) India as technical partner,” he said.

During the stage-1 of the challenge, Kohima was selected among the top 11 winning cities of India and a cash prize was awarded to carry forward the interventions throughout the city by focusing on creating safe streets and public spaces to improve the childhood services and amenities to enhance the quality of life of young children in particular and others in general, he said.

He said that the studies indicated that over 36 million children of aged six and below live in India cities, of which 8 million children reside in urban slums lacking infrastructure and services.

It is expected that urban population will be by 2050 and this approach offers opportunity to align the country's rapid urbanization with more accessible, inclusive and safer infrastructures for a more resilient and sustainable future, he said.

Kohima pose challenges due to lack of open spaces for children
Er Theunuo said that Indian cities including Kohima pose many challenges due to lack of open, green and safety spaces for children, toddlers and their caregivers.

“Children having exposure to such high stress environments during early age/years can have lifelong impacts on a child's cognitive, health and behavioural outcomes,” he said.

In response to this challenge, Kohima smart city along with various stakeholders of the city has initiated to create pocket public spaces, slow streets, safer junctions to improve the facilities for children & pedestrians through quick innovations and designs.

He said that the community participations and support are the main elements for the success in planning and implementations and also management of the created public assets.

“This unity park is one of such projects taken up by Kohima smart city with the active participation and support of New Minister’s Hill Panchayat and the credit of the success of this project goes to this community,” he said.

Er Theunuo said that Kohima smart city is planning to take up this type of projects in some other colonies also.

In this, he appealed the citizens of the Colony to shoulder further responsibilities in managing this Unity Park to its best and set a good example for others to follow.

Earlier, the programme was chaired by Kekhriesetuo Ziephrü, General Manager, Human Resources, KSCDL.