NeVolution Initiative: NITI Aayog workshop explores community-led solutions on public health & WASH

March 27, 2025 5 Views No Comment

NE reportedly outperformed national average in WASH parameters

Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 27

A regional workshop on Public Health and WASH for the Northeast (NE) states was organised in Chümoukedima on March 26. A part of the NeVolution Initiative, the workshop was sponsored by the NITI Aayog in partnership with the Rural Development Department, Nagaland.

The workshop brought together stakeholders, including policymakers and community leaders, to address public health challenges related to WASH and waste management. WASH is an acronym for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. It explored, in essence, the prospects of innovative, sustainable and community-driven solutions to improve health outcomes across the northeastern region.

The inaugural programme had, besides others, Minister for Public Health Engineering Department, Jacob Zhimomi, who delivered the keynote address; Minister for Rural Development and SIRD, Metsubo Jamir; Programme Director of the NITI Aayog, Yugal Joshi; and Nagaland Chief Secretary J Alam.

Minister Zhimomi, in his address, highlighted the specific challenges faced by the state in achieving its WASH goals. He claimed that progress has been made under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with 3,37,000 rural households, out of 3,76,000, provided with tap connections. The remaining 26,000 households will be covered by the end of this quarter, he said.

He said that the Mission was headed in the right direction but highlighted challenges, notably the dependence on rain-fed rivers as the primary water source in a state characterised by hilly terrain and seasonal rainfall. He stressed the need for bulk water sources and cluster programs to overcome water stress, especially during the dry season. He also pointed out the importance of addressing water challenges in Kohima, the capital, and the involvement of the PHED in augmenting water supplies in urban areas.

Regarding the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Zhimomi noted that Nagaland declared itself ODF rural in October 2018, ahead of the national timeline. He then spoke on the challenges of implementing SBM Phase 2, while highlighting the need to overcome the old habits, and focusing on hygiene and cleanliness. He urged participants to ensure that Nagaland is not left behind in the nation’s vision for development by 2047.

NE outperforms?
The NITI Aayog Programme Director, Yugal Joshi said that the NE states have often outperformed the national average in key parameters related to sanitation, health and water. He outlined the need for region-specific solutions and called for a collaborative approach, urging participants to identify ideal solutions that consider the unique climatic and geographical challenges of the region. Concerns were raised regarding water quality, specifically the emerging threats of arsenic, fluoride and iron contamination, alongside challenges posed by erratic rainfall patterns and decreasing water sources. Joshi also pointed out the importance of infrastructure for health, sanitation and water.

Focusing on infrastructure, Joshi highlighted the need to address the gap between tap water supply coverage and the number of completed schemes, as well as the need for more and improved water quality laboratories, and the need for accreditation. He emphasised that the NER is vulnerable to water-borne ailments like diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid fever.

Addressing sanitation, he encouraged the need for solutions for the plastic waste and grey water management, and highlighted the rural-urban disparity. Citing the Central Ground Water Board’s August 2024 report, which noted a depleting “annual expectable ground water resources” in the northeast, he called for implementing artificial recharging structures.

While stating that the NITI Aayog is committed to assisting states, alongside development partners, in formulating region-specific actionable recommendations, Joshi claimed that India has made remarkable progress in sanitation and that the success of the JJM was due to the active support from the states. According to him, the alleged accomplishments were built on strong political will, adequate public funding, partnerships with states, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, and the media.