CHOWKHAM, 1 Apr: Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Monday inaugurated a septage management and treatment plant in Alubari here for the cluster towns of Namsai, Chongkham, Tezu and Roing and the rural areas in the periphery of urban towns.
In his address, the DCM emphasised the transformative
impact of the septage management and treatment plant, highlighting its importance as a sustainable solution to address the region’s sanitation challenges owing to rapid urbanisation and rising population.
“The initiative not only provides an effective waste management system but also contributes to environmental conservation, better public health, and improved living conditions for the local communities,” he said, adding that the treatment plant would cater to the urban towns of Namsai, Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley districts.
Such septage management and treatment plant will be constructed in every urban town of the state, he added.
The Rs 2,500-lakh project focuses on cleaning septic tanks from households, institutions, offices, and other facilities in urban towns like Namsai, Chowkham, Tezu, and Roing, as well as in surrounding rural areas. The collected septage will undergo treatment at the newly inaugurated facility, and the processed sludge will be utilised as non-agricultural manure, suitable for gardening and flower plantations. The treated liquid effluent, free from harmful contaminants, will be safe for disposal and can be used for watering plants, cleaning roads, or even emergency firefighting.
The inauguration programme was attended by Namsai MLA Zingnu Namchoom, Tezu-Sunpura MLA Dr Mohesh Chai, Dambuk MLA Puinnyo Apum, Namsai DC CR Khampa, Namsai ZPC Urmila Mancheykhun, Lohit ZPC Dasula Krisikro, among others.
Later, the DCM laid the foundation stone for an integrated processing unit of the Lohit Organic Farmers Producer Company Limited in Medo in Wakro circle of Lohit district.
The integrated unit aims to boost organic farming in the region and create new opportunities for communities in Lohit and surrounding districts of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The project, developed under the MOVCD-NER scheme, is set to cost Rs 914.75 lakhs, as approved by NedFi.
Mein said that the establishment of such agro-processing units would provide farmers with assured purchasing of their agriculture produces with a minimum support price, while also establishing market linkages and capacity building, and empowering farmers economically.
“With the completion of the integrated processing unit, we will overcome the bottleneck of marketing of local produces and be able to provide an assured buyback of the farmers’ produces,” he said.
The processing unit will feature a pre-processing line, including essential components such as a feeding conveyor, rod washer, brush washer, brush peeler, bubble washer, and inspection conveyor, besides cutting machines, a blancher, online dryer, fine dryer, and a cooling conveyor for processing organic produce.
Also present on the occasion were MLAs Chai and Apum, Lohit ZPC Dasula Krisikro, Agriculture Commissioner Bidol Tayeng, Lohit DC KN Damo, APAMB MD Okit Paling, and others. (DCM’s PR Cell)
