Kohima, May 1 (PTI) In a first, a Nagaland assembly committee on Thursday initiated the task of creating awareness among people on the need to address the growing environmental concerns and climate change with spot verifications of at least three streams in and around Kohima, officials said.

The seven-member Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) Committee on Environment and Climate Change was constituted by the Assembly Speaker earlier this year, and its first meeting was held on April 24.

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The panel, headed by its chairman and MLA Achumbemo Kikon, has MLAs and advisors.

As its first initiative, the committee on Thursday conducted spot verifications of at least three streams in and around the state capital Kohima –Dzüvurü, Vurierü, Sanuorü,- and also a solid waste management plant at Lerie and a waste segregation facility at Meriema constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission by Urban Development Department.

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Speaking to the media, Kikon emphasised the gravity of environmental degradation and the growing impact of climate change.

“The biggest challenge today is the degradation of the environment,” he said, stressing that both the natural environment—rivers, forests, air—and man-made elements such as roads and buildings face serious threats.

“We experience the effects of climate change every day,” he added.

During the inspection of the river systems, the committee interacted with leaders of colonies and village councils and highlighted the urgent need to clean and protect water sources, he said.

“There is a serious shortage of water in Kohima and across Nagaland,” Kikon stated, appealing to citizens, municipal bodies, and village authorities to stop polluting rivers with plastic waste and sewage.

He urged the residents to refrain from dumping waste into water bodies, including polythene bags, plastic bottles, and drainage effluents.

“We must all contribute to cleaning our rivers. Otherwise, the next global conflict may not be over oil or land, but water," he said.

Committee member Zhaleo Rio echoed these concerns and outlined practical steps being taken by the Urban Development Department.

He announced that four major sanitation and water treatment projects are underway in Kohima, targeting the interception and treatment of contaminated water.

“We will release clean water back into rivers,” he said, highlighting the importance of these efforts, especially during the dry season.

Rio also reiterated the committee's intention to expand its work beyond Kohima to other districts, including Dimapur, in compliance with directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). “This land is beautiful, but it's being spoiled by our own actions,” Rio remarked,

The committee also plans to hold multiple rounds of meetings and collaborate with 16 to 17 identified “line departments” such as forest, environment, urban development, agriculture, and fisheries.

These departments will work in tandem to improve environmental conditions and develop climate-resilient infrastructure across Nagaland, the officials said.

Calling for statewide cooperation, Kikon urged, “Let us all wake up from our deepest slumber and make our surroundings clean. If we act now, Nagaland can be more beautiful than Switzerland or Singapore.”

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)