ITANAGAR, Jan 22: A webinar on Swachhta was organised by Regional Outreach Bureau, Itanagar to apprise its field staff about various initiatives taken by SBM-Grameen Directorate in Arunachal Pradesh. Superintending Engineer of the Mission Directorate Joi Angu participated as the resource person.
In his keynote address, Angu informed that already 2.24 lakh latrines have been constructed in the State under the Swachh Bharat Mission. He emphasized the need to spread awareness about fecal materials disposed off and when the septic tank get filled, he said either retro fitting method for which training is being conducted or twin pit technology will be adopted to ensure safe disposal. He said twin pit technology has been adopted only in few areas like Doimukh in which two pits are interlinked and once the first pit got filled up it will be closed so that the fecal materials becomes compost over a period of 18 months which is a very good fertilizer that can be manually handled.
During this year, the focus of the Mission in Arunachal Pradesh will be on building community sanitation centers and solid and liquid waste management. He urged the field staff of ROB to educate public about solid waste disposal in pit and channelizing of liquid waste from kitchen & bathroom to avoid stagnation.
He also emphasized the need to avoid use of single use plastic and plastic waste management at block level for which technology has been obtained from Govt of India. Angu sought the help of field units to create awareness about menstrual hygiene management which involve proper waste disposal and making of sanitary pads at home. He also said that from this year SBM Directorate has taken over the job of building toilets for ICDS which was earlier done by Women & Child Development Department.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, ROB Director Dr H R Keshavamurthy urged the field staff to spread the message of personal hygiene and community hygiene during their door to door campaigns in rural areas to add to the efforts of Mission Directorate which is undertaking various awareness activities like essay, painting competitions and rallies.
Officials of ROB, Itanagar and Field Outreach Bureaus at Tawang, Bomdila Aalo, Pasighat and Tezu took part in the webinar.