The Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) in collaboration with Kohima Smart City Development Limited (KSCDL) celebrating Amrit Utsav (100 cities-100 events) inaugurated RRR (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) centres for Ward number 4-Naga Bazaar, 5-Kitsubozou, 6-D block, 7-Daklane, 8-New market and 9-Midlane as part of the mega campaign ‘Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar’.

The RRR centres was inaugurated by Kohima Deputy Commissioner Shanavas C, IAS on Saturday at KMC office.

Addressing the gathering, DC Kohima, Shanavas said the initiative is quite a relief at this stage where we lack proper recycle plan and solid waste management plan that results in all the waste going to the dumping grounds.

Highlighting the rising issue of global warming he said, “Every country is contributing to its own carbon footprint called atmospheric pollution. Nagaland’s contribution with lack of industries to the overall carbon footprint of the world may be minimum but at the same time the pollution we contribute to one particular area is much more than what the population of Kohima town can take”.

Stressing on the importance of sustainable development Shanavas called the people to think beyond the state and even beyond the country, “We don’t think too far, and we don’t think too long we want to be so comfortable in our house, in our surroundings we don’t think beyond that”.

He further called upon the NGOs and SHGs to join hands in focusing on reduce and reuse with the limited infrastructure until the state have a proper facility to recycle, “recycling facility will also be available soon then we will start using that until then we have to make use of our own capacity.”

The DC lamented on the lack of civic sense and sense of responsibility of the people and called for coordinated efforts in educating and promoting the most basic values of cleanliness and civic sense. He urged the people to be responsible and not just depend on the government as the KMC, Urban Development and the Government cannot do it alone.

“Kohima as the Capital is often called the mirror of Nagaland so the mirror should be clean and to keep the mirror clean, we all have to join hands and work together,” DC Shanavas said.

“We can discuss, think together and find solutions, our final destination is the same even if our past is different and we can make a lot of changes,” he added.

T Lanusenla Longkumer, Administrator, KMC said, Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shekhar/ my LiFE, My clean city campaign was launched as part of the LiFE mission. “We are in a crucial stage of existence, if we do not change our lifestyle our human race may even become extinct.”

Highlighting the concept and the significance of the Three Rs, Longkumer said “In this age of fast fashion where quantity not quality rules the clothing industry, where goods are not repairable but discarded once they are damage, where we get unnecessary plastic packaging in everything we purchase, where all of us are ingesting plastic through the food we eat, where our rivers are choked with plastics, it is indeed high time for us to start thinking how not to become extinct and leave a better planet for the future generations.”

“Forget about the garbage island in the Pacific Ocean, we are also on our way to creating one in the Doyang river dam,” Longkumer added.

Briefing about the intention of inculcating the Three Rs in six wards, Longkumer informed that another nine centres are located in various wards of the municipality.

Further, she informed that “the campaign will culminate on World Environment Day, 5th June. Three best RRR centres will be recognised & awarded, and one centre will be retained for the whole municipality.”

She also pointed the serious need to work on our Naga attitude towards everything “moi khan toh hoi jabo” and said “nahoi tey” while urging the people to choose a lifestyle consciously to impact the planet for the better. She called the ward panchayat, women organisation, youth, SHGs, KMC for the coordinated efforts and said one weak link can ruin the entire process.

“Cooperation and the coordination are the key to make this initiative a grand success,” the administrator added.

Kohima DC Shanavas C, IAS with officials of KMC, KSCDL and social organisations at KMC office for the launch of RRR centres in Kohima

Longkumer further said that the centres were provided with register, thread, needle (both machine and sewing), measuring tape, water dispenser, Scissors, machine oil, screwdriver set and other posters.

RRR centres will receive unused items such as clothes, footwear, household items, electronic items, toys, books, paper etc. People can give and pick up any item they like from the centre as one person’s waste can be another person’s treasure.

The KMC administrator stated, “By reusing we are reducing the waste that goes to the landfill and by recycling we are reusing what would have gone to the landfill.”