Nagaland assembly panel begins ground checks on water bodies, flags urgent climate concerns

Breaking new ground in legislative engagement with environmental issues, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly's Committee on Environment and Climate Change has kicked off field inspections and public awareness efforts targeting climate change and pollution.

Led by MLA Achumbemo Kikon, the seven-member committee conducted site visits to three major streams—Dzüvurü, Vurierü, and Sanuorü—in and around Kohima on Thursday. The team also inspected solid waste and segregation plants at Lerie and Meriema, facilities developed under the Swachh Bharat Mission by the Urban Development Department.

Kikon said the inspections aimed to bring attention to the urgent environmental degradation affecting the region. “The biggest challenge today is the degradation of the environment,” he said. “We experience the effects of climate change every day.”

During the visit, the committee met with local colony leaders and village councils, highlighting the need to protect Kohima’s dwindling water sources. “There is a serious shortage of water in Kohima and across Nagaland,” Kikon said, urging residents to stop dumping plastic and sewage into rivers. “We must all contribute to cleaning our rivers. Otherwise, the next global conflict may not be over oil or land, but water.”

The committee’s formation earlier this year by the Assembly Speaker marked a shift toward proactive legislative engagement with climate challenges. Its first formal meeting was held on April 24.

Member and advisor Zhaleo Rio echoed Kikon’s concerns, announcing that four major sanitation and water treatment projects are currently underway in Kohima. “We will release clean water back into rivers,” Rio said, noting that clean water initiatives are critical as the dry season intensifies. He also confirmed the committee’s plans to expand its work to other districts, including Dimapur, following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

“This land is beautiful, but it’s being spoiled by our own actions,” Rio remarked.

Looking ahead, the committee plans to collaborate with up to 17 departments, including environment, urban development, forest, and agriculture, to build climate-resilient infrastructure and improve ecological health across the state.

Calling for a state-wide effort, Kikon concluded, “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.” (PTI)