NIRJULI, Jun 2: An awareness workshop on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) was organised at Nyikum Nyia Hall here on Saturday by the NHPC,under its corporate social responsibility scheme, in collaboration with the Itanagar Municipal Council and the capital complex administration.
Speaking as the resource person, senior journalist Pradeep Kumar said the state government has, with the active participation of the people, been able to reach a milestone in garbage disposal and building individual and community latrines under the SBA.
“Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the SBM in 2014, it was former governor JJ Singh who made a clarion call in 2010 to make Arunachal ‘Clean, green and plastic-free,”’ Kumar said.
He said Chief Minister Pema Khandu took up the mission on priority, involving the municipal councils of Itanagar and Pasighat in door-to-door garbage collection and its safe disposal.
Kumar presented a brief account of the 15-day ‘Swacchta hi seva’ programme, which was launched on 15 September, 2017, and the ODF project, prepared in 2012 by PH&WS (Sanitation) Chief Engineer Toko Jyoti.
“Building of individual household and community latrines has brought a sea change in the sanitation scenario of the state, which pushed Arunachal from the status of the third dirtiest city to the rank of 216among 434 cities. Further, Arunachal is ranked 7th in the ODF-free status in the country and second among the Northeastern states, behind Sikkim,” he said.
EAC Hengo Basar appealed to the gathering to think of cleanliness as “self-service, not as a government job.”
Basar highlighted the efforts made by the governor and the capital complex deputy commissioner in making the capital complex garbage-free.
NHPC’s medical officer Dr Abu Taba and GK Welfare Society president GK Taniya exhorted the people to make cleanliness a part of their daily life.
Besides stakeholders and members of the public, the workshop was attended by representatives of NGOsand SHGs under the IMC subdivision, led by MEE Tadar Tarang and AEs Techi Yami and Nabum Sony.
A similar workshop was also held at Naharlagun in the evening. (DIPRO)
