Dimapur, August 7 (MExN): The Director of CCUD, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Kevisekho Kruse today underscored the need to address sanitation as a social issue, as much as it is a public health issue. Addressing a workshop on sanitation for Bible colleges in Dimapur, Kruse emphasized the importance of the workshop and the need to tackle the issue. He said the problem needs to be addressed from all directions, for the fact that, poor sanitation is the major cause for poor community health in the state. Unless a feeling of necessity is created among the public, total sanitation will not be successful, Kruse added.
Apart from other components of sanitation, Kruse said that human excreta is the single largest problem which needs to be addressed. He said as mush as 50% of all diseases and infections are passed on to human from excreta. Only 38% of the villages in Nagaland have toilets, he added, which is a result of starting the sanitation campaign late. He, however, added that the pace at which the campaign is picking up, Nagaland will achieve the target set by the government- to achieve total sanitation by 2012- on time.
Kruse also underlined the need to have a solid waste management system in the state. He said most of the waste generated by people cannot be recycled due to absence of a solid waste management system. He also highlighted the need for ‘zero-waste’ in the state, where all kinds of waste can be harnessed and reused. He further urged the public to practice good hygiene in order to maintain safe community heath.
Editor of Nagaland Post, Geoffery Yaden, who graced the programme as chief guest, also emphasized the need to promote good health and create awareness on sanitation. Yaden said that people have failed to go beyond their personal interest as far as sanitation is concerned. “People have not gone beyond keeping their houses clean…they are not bothered about the general wellbeing,” he said. Yaden said the public needs to generate a movement, which involves campaigns and awareness about the importance of sanitation. He added that if the society wants to move forward, it has to do so in every sphere including sanitation.
Yaden further called on the need for theologians to become more visible and speak about issues like sanitation. “Faith is not confined to the church…this is also a form of evangelism…you need to be visible in everything,” Yaden said. He also encouraged the PHE department to continue its campaigns across the state.
The workshop included sessions on topics of ‘vital issues of sanitation’ conducted by Agwaseng Kent, Executive Engineer of CCDU, ‘components of sanitation’ conducted by Adi Nakhro, Consultant for CCDU and the ‘importance of sanitation for good community heatlh’ was conducted by Imsubenla, Consultant for CCDU. The programme was organised by Withee Bible College, Dimapur and sponsored by the PHE department.
