Public Health and Hygiene by The Morung Express

OCTOBER2012

Are We Ready For Change Yet? Bonnie Konyak, NRHM, Mon Some two years ago, before MSF’s (Doctors Without Borders) official entry into Mon district, I remember a few of us going around the Mon District Hospital when Bruno, the first Health Promoter, commented at the dogs loitering around the compound. By the time he finished the long lecture on how unhygienic it was for animals to be allowed inside the hospital, we entered the male ward and burst out laughing. The ward was full of chickens brought to the patients by sympathetic visitors. It was sometime before I could talk intelligently enough to explain that it was the Konyak equivalent of the Western expression “Get well soon”. Fast forward two years . . . The other day I saw Sashi, the Infection Control Inspector of MSF, looking highly harassed trying to chase of a dog that had strayed into the hospital while the LOCAL people at the District Hospital looked on in unbelievable horror at the sight. Improvement? I wonder and as I look at the 100 liters water syntaxes put up around the hospital with bars of soap attached to strings hanging from them, I believe they have.

Amidst the myriad of issues affecting the Nagas, sanitation and hygiene is often a forgotten subject for the people of our district where living is a daily struggle; it even seems to be an unnecessary discussion. What we fail to realize is that hygiene is so much more important for a struggling district like ours. Health and economy is much more closely related than most people realize; and hygiene is one of the main culprits for most health problems we encounter today. After three years of working closely with the people at the grass roots level in Mon, I have realized that our people can be very obstinate, unreasonable even about change of their existing lifestyle. Even after a repeated appeal to the villagers to boil drinking water, they will not do so simply because they “do not like” the taste of boiled water. However, stubbornness is not the same as being stupid, if we just take the time to explain why boiling water is important and what illnesses can be caused by drinking unboiled water, as well as many other serious health implications, then people usually respond positively. This brings us to the point that health personnel (not just doctors and nurses) need

to be more active in places like Mon where health promotion is just as important as providing health services. A health worker, while treating an outbreak of diarrhea, must make the extra effort to teach the people how to prevent diarrhea or the onset of malaria season should begin with our health staff by explaining how to prevent breeding of mosquitoes in our compounds. Like everything else, Health Promotion or disseminating educational information on health issues is more difficult in a district like Mon where mediums of mass media like cable, newspapers etc., are almost non-existent. And despite the geographical inaccessibility (6-8 months of landslides, no accessible roads, etc.) and language barrier (due to a host of different dialects), interpersonal communication has been found to be the most effective mode of health promotion. However, past experiences show that the seeming insurmountable task can be made comparatively easier with the help of the Church. In the case of our district, the Church platform is best not just because it reaches the most people, but also because people believe the information that comes from the Church,

which is just as important. I remember last year, during the Measles Catch-Up campaign in the state, one of our staff came back from the field fuming with anger. Apparently, while the people of one village were standing in line waiting to get their children vaccinated, a man was going around shouting warnings that – ‘This (the free vaccination) was a trap by “India” to reduce the population.’ - and so on. Hence, the importance of the Church; you need people to believe the information you are sharing. The above, however, is the ideal situation since there are always many obstacles unique to each district which thwarts our efforts. More often than not, problems like the extremely difficult working condition in the villages, such as the lack of housing, electricity, transportation, working toilets, basic necessities, etc., the innumerable numbers of reports to submit, trainings to attend or conduct, functions and program to attend or organize, meetings, etc., usually slow down the process way too much. And sometimes even when you try to do all that you can do, change is often excruciatingly slow in coming, but the trick is not to look for change instead it’s about HAVING FUN TRYING.

Take greater responsibility! Dr. Aola Imcha Poor hygiene standards in public places affect women more than men. I feel that individuals need to take greater responsibility to solve the problem of poor hygiene in public places and hence improving people’s health. The possibility of an outbreak spreading of various diseases becomes very high due to the onset of the rains coupled with poor environmental sanitation, inadequate safe water, and poor personal hygiene practices. The public should be urged to improve personal hygiene and overall environmental cleanliness in addition to strengthening the surveillance and proper management by the concerned authorities. I feel the media can be a useful tool to educate the general public. I think even the schools should educate the students so as to create an awareness and develop early habit of good personal and public hygiene. Our children are our greatest hope. I see that they are much more conscious than we adults. I find them looking for a wastepaper basket to throw garbage while most adults like us don’t really care much. Hopefully the future is going to be much better. I for one am quite optimistic!

Public Hygiene Easterine I think we have almost given up on educating about public hygiene, because the lack of civic sense is so wide ranging that this has become a self-defeating task. However, every generation of Nagas does not have to be cursed by the stubborn refusal to learn to treat our environment well. If the parents do not have civic awareness, well then teach their children. If every school compulsorily teaches children to clean their own classrooms and to stop littering the school compound, this is a lesson they will take home to their parents and start educating their parents. This is our one hope for civic awareness reaching older people. Schools teaching students about the benefits of a clean environment for public health might have the impact we want upon the older generation. Another suggestion is contests for the ‘most clean’ colony. If the local administration can institute a quarterly Deputy Commissioner’s annual prize for the cleanest colony, that might instill a much needed sense of pride in residents of their colonies to keep their colonies clean.

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A Legal Review of Public Health and Hygiene: Naga Perspective Moatoshi Ao A nation’s prosperity is also measured by the health and well being of the people. As the saying goes “health is wealth”; health, thus, is a vital element in a nation building. We, the Nagas for centuries lived with a primitive health care system and many contemporary diseases were unknown to us. Our ancestors, in ignorance, termed such fatal diseases which caused death to patients as being “eaten by the devil or god of the land or a curse”. The advent of the white people to our land resulted in introducing modern scientific health care. There are instances where people converted to Christianity after being cured of illness by modern health care. Such stories of our ancestors seem to be fanciful when we hear them; however, decades have passed and they have been forgotten. Hygiene refers to the control of elements in the environment that are dangerous or that pose potential hazards to physical, mental and social health of human beings. Law and legislation respects the privacy of people in their own homes and, hence, do not regulate people’s personal hygiene. However, the law is for common good and, when a person’s activities create problems for the health of others, the law considers it to be an infringement of one’s right to peaceful and healthy living. The Britishers, being far advanced than the primitive Nagas, felt the impending necessity of health care and public hygiene for the Nagas. Thus, the Bengal Vaccination Act, 1880, the Assam Excluded Areas (Epidemic Diseases) Regulation, 1941, etc., were applied in the Naga country. Orders were also passed by the Deputy Commissioner Naga Hills for preventing diseases by prohibiting eating dead animal meat. By Order No.4 of 1912 dated 3/5/1912 passed by the Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, forbade the cutting or eating flesh of any bullock or cow found dead. An offender is penalised with seven days rigorous punishment for first offence and one month for repetition of violation of the said order. The said order also forbade bringing from other villages where disease existed any carcass or flesh under the same penal-

ties. Again, G.S. Lightfoot, Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, by Order No.2(a) of 1938 dated 9/8/1938 forbade eating sick animals and a veterinary surgeon’s certificate is to be obtained for eating such animals. J.H. Hutton, Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills, by Order No.33 of 1929 dated 13/8/1929 also ordered special permission to be obtained from the SDO or DC for importing bulls from the plain areas. The object of passing such orders was for public hygiene and to maintain a healthy living environment in the Naga villages. Besides forbidding eating sick and dead animals, the British administration was vigilant about importing communicable diseases from the plains. J.H. Hutton by Order No.5 of 1925 dated 13/11/1925 closed the coming and going of Semas living in the villages of the Wokha Henima road for work to the plains from mid-April to midNovember. The Britishers’ administration was thus not only for the maintenance of law and order, but for understanding the importance of law in society for the overall welfare was implausibly beyond our ancestors’ imagination at that time. After receiving statehood, our legislature has passed a number of Acts to preserve and develop a healthy environment. Such Acts included environmental legislation besides ensuring public hygiene and health. Of all such Acts, the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001 is crucial for public hygiene. Section 58 lays down certain obligatory functions of the municipal council such as sanitation conservancy and solid waste management, slum improvement and up-grading, provisions for urban amenities and facilities such as parks, gardens and playgrounds, regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries, etc. Sections 201 to 239 and 240 to 291 provide for civic services and drainage and sewerage respectively. The Act provides exhaustive provisions for regulation and maintenance. However, the law remains on paper as the execution of such provisions has seldom been exercised after the Act was enacted.

Hygiene And Cleanliness N. Lydia, Delhi University

In my opinion, the blame is on both parties. None of us take permission for digging a new well, tank, pond, cistern or fountain from the municipality under section 219 of the Act. Another example is constructing cesspools, here too, who obtain permission from the municipal officer under section 260(b). If dug such well or pond or constructed a cesspool that violates the Act, does the municipal authority inspect and take actions according to the procedure established by the Act? The municipality is too fragile and weak at implementing the laws. Besides, the legal awareness of the common people is low in our state. Proper execution and implementation of the laws passed by the legislature and the people’s acceptance and obedience could usher an environment that is conducive for healthy living. The state legislature passed the Health Care Establishments Act, 1997, to regulate private hospitals,

garding endangering the health and life of not only the patients, but the people living in the vicinity of the health institutions. In this regard, the management of bio-medical waste is to be noted. The Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, provides detailed procedures to be followed by every institution generating bio-medical waste for handling, disposal, treatment and disposal, segregation, packaging, transportation and storage of biomedical waste. It is the duty of the municipal authority and pollution control board to enforce such laws. However, it is throbbing to see how the health institutions manage the dumping of bio-medical waste and the enforcement authority sitting idle in their respective chambers. A very common violation of such rules is that one finds only one disposal bin where all waste – domestic kitchen waste of the patient, as well as medical waste are thrown in the same disposal bin. The procedure prescribed for treatment, segregation, packaging, transportation and storage is not followed and the medical waste are just disposed off together with other domestic waste. To follow strictly such procedure laid down by law may seem to be complicated in our state owing to various reasons; however, the enforcement authority and the public in general should understand the consequences. Besides, the health institution’s management being qualified in this field should strictly adhere to such procedures as well as raise the common people’s awareness of these health hazards. At present both the enforcement authority and the health institution management neglect adhering to such procedures as prescribed by law. To live in a clean and healthy environment is a fundamental right enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, and the Supreme Court of India has upheld the right to healthy environment in number of cases. Increased numbers of diseases in our state is a result of the government’s inability to control the “disease of poverty”. One

the legislature’s endeavour to enact various laws is to bring equilibrium within the society – “a society

not only free from inequality, but also a healthy place to dwell.” nursing homes, clinics, etc., that were run by a voluntary organisation and the Naga Hospital Authority Act, 2003, making Naga Hospital an autonomous institution to develop into an institution of excellence for providing various services connected with health care. Both these Acts were passed to regulate our state’s health care system. However, in practise due to various reasons known to the concerned departments the provisions enumerated in the Act are not strictly enforced re-

Dimapur is the heart of Nagaland although its capital is Kohima. Many people live here following various activities like trade, business and education. However, with increase in population the hygiene and cleanliness of the town is deteriorating. Nagaland as a whole can be termed as a fast developing state as compared to other lower northeastern regions like Manipur, Mizoram, etc., due to its connectivity with rest of India through the railways. But some of the worst scenarios of unhygienic practices can be seen in many parts of the town. The local community has tried their best to maintain cleanliness in and around their colonies by means of social work and individual household maintenance, etc. The government, however, has failed to support these efforts. This is evident from the fact that in and around market places lots of unhygienic conditions prevail. There are no proper drainage systems with concretization of roads and buildings. During the rainy season the condition of the roads becomes worse as they are filled with mud and drainage water. There are no proper sanitary arrangements in the town and disposal of waste on the roadsides have become an everyday habit. In addition to this, hospitals and public places are no exception. On the one hand the fact cannot be denied that the state government through DMC has started its initiatives.

would always find some Naga patient hospitalised with fatal diseases when walking into any big hospital in one of India’s metropolitan cities. The number of such patients is increasing at an alarming rate in our state. The state government’s apathy is the chief reason for such rapid increase in fatal diseases. The government’s slack nature to establish and promote health care institutions to study and treat such fatal diseases which are rampantly increasing in our state results in the death of many Nagas who cannot afford to go out of the state for medical treatment. It cannot be denied that our state government is not as wealthy as other states, but the state government’s lack of maintaining public hygiene and promoting health care institutions also cannot be denied. The increasing population and human activities pose serious issues including public hygiene and health. Awareness of the human activities effecting human health and environment needs to be rigorously emphasised as a policy of the government. Village councils are playing an active role in this regard, however, due to lack of knowledge and training the outcome is unsatisfactory. In towns and cities the municipal authority at present fails to ensure a healthy environment. Maintaining and regulating sanitation discharged from private, as well as government buildings or houses are not supervised in accordance with the plans prepared and established by public departments and laid down by legislature’s Act. An infinite debate is obvious if allowed to debate on this subject, the government authorities on one side and the public on the other; blaming each other with their respective sturdy points of argument. Laws are enacted to regulate and to protect. Laws establish authorities and machinery to regulate when one violates the law and to protect when one’s right is infringed. Laws are an element of social engineering that helps maintain equilibrium in the society. Thus, the legislature’s endeavour to enact various laws is to bring equilibrium within the society – “a society not only free from inequality, but also a healthy place to dwell.” The enforcement machineries are thus empowered by law to take actions when required. A clement attitude of the authorities may only convolute the system rendering intend of the legislature nugatory.

However, on the other hand the fact that the problem of proper disposal places still remains a reality cannot be ignored. And this calls for government intervention to create more proper disposal places and to reconstruct the already existing ones. Along with the unavailable facilities the people’s unhygienic behaviour is also responsible for the town’s deteriorating condition. This shows that while Nagaland is among those states with good literacy rate, many people still lack basic hygienic knowledge. But the people cannot be blamed, because it is the sole duty of the government to provide its people with awareness of their ill habits. Therefore, together with infrastructural development, social development of the people is a must. Because it is only through having sound knowledge and proper education that can change the people mindset and behaviours. For without proper knowledge and education the development process of the place will be lagging behind making the people unable to maintain the infrastructure created for them. However, it is known that no policy of the government will be sustained without the cooperation of the people. Therefore, it is also the people’s responsibility that are living in this town to voluntarily participate in following hygienic practices, both at state level through various NGOs and at personal level at home. Doing so we would be able to restore the town to its former beauty and live in peace with the environment, because a life lived clean is a life lived long. For as we all know “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”.

Caring for Cleanliness Hewasa Lorin is the Head of Department of English, Tetso College, Dimapur Nagaland is home to one of the richest cultural traditions in the world with many tribes and cultural beliefs – something we must be proud of. We belong to a culture that regards ‘respect’ very highly, primarily ‘respect for elders’. Taking ‘respect’ beyond the confines of human interaction, I believe we need to transmit it beyond and give it its due worth with regard to public property. The extent of just how much we respect public property is pretty evident from the condition of our government offices and public amenities today. The joy of visiting a government office is short-lived with numerous paan stained walls and stairs, and dustbins that take their name way too literally, whenever you turn a corner. Visit the supermarkets in Kohima and Dimapur where you will find yourself tiptoeing through a maze of mud and filth, and trash dotting the pathways. A serene drive to our villages greets us with beer cans in various scenic viewpoints. All this exists despite knowing that the ill-effects of unhygienic conditions lead to epidemics, health hazards and environmental imbalances. It’s time we started worrying about it to a greater degree. If this is what we call a developing or developed Nagaland, at the rate at which we have very successfully managed to damage what’s already there, there may not be much of it left. Probably, part of the problem

lies in our apathy to the entire situation. We have become so used to the routine sight of dirt and grime that I think we are soon entering a phase called, to borrow a medical term, “anaesthesia”, in which we have become completely immune to the deplorable unhygienic environment in which we seem to be unabashedly thriving within. So accustomed are we that we no longer even seem to notice the paan stains, spitting or the garbage right beside us. For those of us who do, maybe we just probably give in with a sigh of resignation. Of course, the problem does not exist only in Nagaland. I recall a Naga friend of mine from Delhi commenting about the conditions in Hyderabad when she first arrived. The first thing she commented about was how much people spit in Hyderabad. The thought had never really occurred to me or maybe it was the “anaesthesia” effect working. But after she told me, I began to notice the rampant pointless spitting everywhere! It’s actually really incredible. They spit wherever and whenever - even as they are driving, walking, cycling, and even talking! But surprisingly or maybe not, it kind of reminded me of the same scenario here in Nagaland. As much as I’d like to think we are much better off than that, there is a possibility that we can give them fierce competition. On a positive note, however, we do have exceptions to our case. I remember visiting a village in Nagaland that proved there still is, fortunately, some amount of civic duty

When we finally decide that enough is enough and each of us do our part - looking after public property and avoid littering - maybe we’ll see the change we want to see.

still intact. In order to ensure hygiene, large dustbins have been placed in and around the entire village. Another positive sign is the solar powered Higher and Technical Education building in Kohima and the recent renewable energy cycle drive. I think these are some of the positive steps that are already in place. But, there is obviously a lot more that can be done. Until we begin to pro-actively feel a sense of responsibility, ownership and accountability to public amenities and property, we may never get our public hygiene right. Are the concerned authorities taking effective measures to curb the potential hazards? We build big beautiful offices, stores and buildings, but do we really know what it takes to maintain them? Obviously, it is no easy task as can be seen from examples around the world. But the examples just go to show that stringent and more honest concerted efforts are required if we want to get the job done. If you visit shopping malls in the cities or even abroad, you will find moppers constantly working the floor all day long. Enter the bathrooms and there will always be a washwoman standing ready to clean up the next mess. But in most cases, the public themselves know that they are not supposed to spit in the sink or throw trash in places other than waste bins. A northeastern state like Shillong

is many times cleaner than our state capital Kohima. While we may like to profess about how clean we are spiritually, out worldly we show little concern for our environment. I think Nagas take the prize at being fashionably and impeccably dressed, but fail miserably in transmitting that energy beyond the individual self. What point is it if we have clean clothes, clean shoes, clean selves but don’t have the public space that allows us to make us feel as if we were sitting down in our homes (our homes are always clean). We are completely oblivious to the amount of proliferating germs that we are so generously welcoming into our streets, our towns and villages. Honestly, I don’t think our body’s immune powers are that robust to be able to withstand the ill effects of our poor sanity measures and the degenerating environment for so long either. The key thing to work on is changing our mindset. When we finally decide that enough is enough and each of us do our part - looking after public property and avoid littering - maybe we’ll see the change we want to see.

An observation:

A random sketch on public hygiene and cleanliness Moanung A profound society is reflected by the health, hygiene and cleanliness of the people. Though our society has progress much in various developments, larger part of school and college goers, travellers including sick people and kids, workers of various departments still faces the same old problem we faced a decade ago. I still remember, we had the best schools, great teachers, pleasant environment, but improper sanitation system has been such an agony. Why hasn’t it changed yet? Education in academic institution isn’t enough, I guess… The vision for Health and Hygiene go together and it has to be balanced well. Seminars, slogans and various governmental programmes are incomplete if not followed-up with proper public toilets, adequate water supply, proper waste disposal, drainage system in place and placing dedicated people in charge for its maintenance. In 2002, we were travelling to a small town that was 2 hours drive from Bangkok. We stopped mid-way for refreshment. Lo and behold! The toilet there has spotless mirrors, fresh towels, paper rolls, and hand dryers, with aromatic hand wash, super clean and disinfected surroundings. It’s not a comparison, nor, that am I obsessed with Thai cleanliness and hygiene but an appreciation of such quality in their society. We know, the people there are much like us and we can always adopt some of their set-ups and concept for the well- being of our society. Only if we can also emulate this positive aspect besides the already known attributes we have incorporated from Thailand, Korea, the United States, Bangladesh, Burma etc! Public health is also an integral part of the economy. Why not the government or some business chains come up with various schemes that will engage unemployed youth and bring out some basic changes for the improvement of the public health and economy? Building hygienic toilets at a stretch of a kilometres or so and proper drainage system especially along the national high way and in important public places will make Nagaland shinning! Meanwhile it will prevent the spread of multiple dreadful diseases that is prevalent among the people due to open drainage and sewages, insufficient water and lack of consistent disinfectant

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Cleanliness and order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them Benjamin Disraeli

programme. It will also spare the Naga public and its visitors from the all too familiar and repulsive odour that seem to be appearing in the Capital and Dimapur. From a homemakers’ perspective, I observed that, in our society most of the younger housewives are educated and well maintained, leading clean and hygienic lives. The children of present generation are far ahead from the previous generation and environmental conscious as well. But, when these families comes out of their homes, well groomed for various purposes, lack of proper sanitation system, inconvenience with no rest rooms, toilets tabs with no running water to refresh themselves trot back home looking shabby and sick, as if, they’ve been blown upon by the desert wind! The other side is also, when, such educated young happy family make efforts to keep their house gleaming and clean but when they go for outings their manners and consciousness to dispose waste, wrappers and various plastic that are hazardous to our environment are kept behind the safety of their homes! How important it is that we teach our children, ourselves included, to dispose waste properly and learn to recycle. Can some of our Naga entrepreneurs think an innovative way of recycling? It is big business? Various groups can also support by organizing various recycle-green clubs. Trotting A shop owner in a shopping complex, where hundreds of customers throng in each day narrate to me about the struggles and torture they go through most days because of the ‘locked pay toilet’. It is also happened that the ‘locked pay toilet’ also serves the entire shopping complex! But it seems the person in-charge who holds the key is rarely seen. With no option, sometimes, customers and shop-keepers alike find solace and release their struggle with nature in a dustbin! Nature-call sure, sometimes is beyond human control. This must be really an epidemic, because seeing people squatting and standing at the corner of a wall in almost every turn is all too a common sight! In today’s fast-track world our society surely needs a total infrastructural transformation of upgraded facilities, well maintained sanitary system, awareness, implementation and practice. Today I am reminded of the line, I was taught long time ago in my primary schooling, “cleanliness is next to Godliness”. It sure won’t be a bad idea to put this idiom to test in our society.

People's Opinion on

Public Hygiene and Cleanliness I am deeply concerned about public hygiene and cleanliness especially in Dimapur. There are lots of bad practices and there seems to be a lot of apathy and negligence on the part of public. We need to bother about it, if we want our city to be clean and all of us free from all sicknesses. There are very few public toilets and that too not in strategic places. Public urinal sheds constructed in and around Dimapur are meant only for gents. The floor sheet of the foot over bridge near Holy cross school is rusted due to people going there and urinating, spitting and throwing all kinds of rubbish on it. Eating and carelessly throwing eatables and other waste on the roads, corners, bus stands, shopping complexes and drainages as well as the stench from piled up garbage make our town unhealthy and invites various epidemics. All these unhygienic sense and carelessness is affecting us. Let us make an effort to become responsible citizens to a make our city free from all dirt as the saying goes,” Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” AKHRIENOU RHAKHO

There should be well maintained public toilets in all places. There should be proper measures for garbage disposal and also a strict law against spitting (pan, tamul, etc).

It should first begin at home, then in school it should be taught and practiced. And the society in general should encourage and carry out the good works of “Public Hygiene and Cleanliness.

ALONG LONGKUMER

CHUBAYANGER PONGEN

Everyone yearns for a clean surrounding, it soothes the mind, refreshes our spirit and body in sharp contrast to a dirty surrounding which brings stress, headache, diseases etc. The standard of public hygiene and cleanliness reflects the maturity of that society. Nagas needs radical change. The fundamental fact of the situation is the failure of every individual to do his/her part, throwing of plastics wrappers, spitting and open defecation etc are some of the most common cause for dirtying of our surrounding, most Nagas lack and doesn’t care enough to use proper dustbins, dust pits etc shows the failure of the individual, colony and the administration. In order to bring cleanliness, it must not be an isolated development but with co-ordinate, planned, cooperation and efforts from every individual irrespective of differences…… we need to emulate the examples of other advanced countries.

The modus operandi of our government is firefighting. We never plan ahead. Do we? We need town/village planning, and also education for behavior change. One cannot do without the other.

Life is Happy when health is good, I think, for good Health we need hygienic and cleanliness in and around the locality to maintain public health and everyone lives happy.

AZO WETSAH

NIEKHOYI

The expression “Public Hygiene and Cleanliness” or sanitation itself, obviously to me whether good or bad, are the reflection of one’s attitude towards one’s own environment in sight. Herein, every abled individual behavior and carelessness must be changed to a new stage of outlook; including social service personnel n civic bodies through means of scientific method of trends be applied in a sustainable way to ensure hygiene and cleanliness for the adaptability in a milieu considering the popular informative concept: “Think globally and act locally” for our survival that is free from swarms of deadly germs. KIUTSU LAMS

DR. SAO TUNYI

A clean environment is the pride of a place, health, comfort as well as dignity. GWASHAK SEB

Looking on cleanliness and hygiene in Nagaland…. Comparing to the outskirts of Dimapur I don’t think Dimapur is a clean place.. Wherever we go… we finds dirt’s dumped everywhere, in the middle of the downtown…even the potholes seems to be garbage. Rain comes the roads are gone to form an ocean in the middle of the road… I think it depends on an individual so that the great leaders would bring better development why wait for DMC workers to pick up every morning when we throw every now and then. Dimapur will become a clean and hygienic place only if we individual come together to preserve and keep it clean for better tomorrow. KUTHONULU HOSHI

There are places near the butchers center filled with all kinds of garbage such as rum bottles, fermented rice, condoms.....etc. No one dumps the garbage in their own home, so why should one dump the garbage's in an open place...... I don't blame the municipal authorities for that but I question the lack of civic sense of the matured men/women who do that, I don't think that small kids would throw the garbage's out there. You keep yourselves so clean and tidy but about your city, isn’t that your home. Unless we think our city is our home we can't keep it clean....

Wealth and riches make life comfortable but once we practice and make a habit of living clean one self, our surroundings, our work place and public places. Life will be more comfortable. Everybody must be aware about the danger of diseases and epidemic. The streets are piled up with month’s old garbage. There are heaps and heaps everywhere. The drains are choked with garbage and water overflows on the roads and lanes. Everyone is responsible for these. Cleanliness is next to godliness. When you keep yourself clean you are honoring God because you are taking care of his creation.

When it comes to public hygiene and cleanliness I think that the first and foremost thing to do is to educate the general public through various awareness drives. Then the Municipal or town committee’s should carry out the garbage cleaning duty regularly and in all places .Penalty should be impose on those shops who doesn’t throw waste at allotted place. The GB’s or area leaders rendered its best service to keep the colony and area clean.

We should stop complaining about the government not doing anything. Individuals, NGO’s and the municipal should all participate and work hand in hand. We should all do something together and not wait until something big comes up.

As the Lebanese Proverb Says, “Hygiene is two thirds of health”. Public Health is very important as it determines the populations Health. To create awareness about public health and cleanliness, the best medicines would be the influence and participation of government, public organizations and media through different channels and educate the mass to maintain personal cleanliness, food safety hygiene, oral hygiene, clean public toilets, removal of stagnated water and garbage’s in and around homes, supply of safe drinking water, keeping hospitals clean. The campaigns must frequently dissuade the public from smoking, drinking alcohol, eating junk food or having unprotected sex. Awareness on regular exercise must be also made. The effectiveness of hand hygiene or hand washing helps in reducing the risks of infections in the body which must be encouraged to practice especially before eating and preparing meals. Emphasis must also be made on the promotion of mental health to prevent mental illness by providing healthy home and social environment.

LAWRENCE GURIA

NORMAN BORGOARY

TEMSUSENLA KICHU

TEMSULILA JAMIR

SELONGLA SANGTAM

ILLUSTRATION by SÜNGKÜM

Cleanliness with Responsibility Text & Photo: WATI I have an opinion to share with you and the people, and I have the photograph of my opinion as well. The footpath from Old N.S.T Station, Dimapur, to the Tourist Lodge, Dimapur has become a market place for some non-locals who are selling cloths and household items. A few days ago I asked some of the shopkeepers in that area whether or not they got the permission from the Municipal Council of Dimapur to establish their own shop on the footpath, they replied “No”. I was really shocked to hear that and thought ‘Where the hell is the authority?’ How can they make stores and shops on public property without receiving permission from the Authority? Also, both locals and non-locals sell vegetables on the footpath in Dhobinala Area. In order to keep the town clean and to maintain personal hygiene, why are vegetables vendors located on the footpath? Why not sell them in an appropriate area with stalls?. Students of the Chinese institute and hospitality and tourism volunteered to clean the town near the Hotel Sente and NEZCC 4th mile on World Tourism Day; the Ao Union Dimapur cleaned the town area and gradually other organisations showed their understanding and respect by cleaning the town and the cities. Good job! Cleanliness should come from mutual respect, understanding, and responsibility of every individual.

Public Hygiene & Cleanliness ........ is our lifeline/sustainable livelihood

Public Hygiene And Public Cleanliness

TEXT & PHOTOS: Liangsi Niumai John Lhitshewe Akami, Age: 14 Sacred Heart Hr. Sec. School Chizami We all know that health is wealth, and being healthy makes us proud and happy. To remain healthy and hygienic, the most important thing is to maintain cleanliness around the village and in our community. The beauty of the village is in its cleanliness. In most villages and towns we all have our own toilets and bathrooms, but we must be aware that in some villages people don’t have their own toilets and we find human waste everywhere. Most villages and towns have public bathrooms today, and these ensure that we have a good standard of living, but we must ensure that every village gets these toilets and bathrooms. If cleanliness is not maintained in the society, there will be no possibility for a healthy life. Some of the public toilets and bathrooms, and sometimes even the ones in our homes, remain unwashed for days. The smell becomes unbearable and a number of flies and mosquitoes also breed and spread diseases. Everyone must do the work they are assignedto do, to maintain cleanliness. We should ensure that roads must remain clean and drains must be regularly checked to make dirty water flow out of the village. To maintain our personal health, it is also important to ensure our bodies remain fit. Everyone is responsible for cleaning his or her own surroundings to keep the environment clean. If we do so, we can keep the entire village clean, live healthier lives, and be happy.

Common sense says it is a need but almost everyone is doing just the opposite. The photographs and illustration above is all about public hygiene and cleanliness. Please have a look at the photographs and read it.

Photograph 1 The above shows a dying stream taken opposite to popular bakery, commercial hub of Dimapur town and close to a reputed educational institute ‘Holy Cross School’ Photograph 2 The above photograph taken inside the half flowing river of famous Danshiri River, lifeline of Nagaland Assam. The flame seen is the burning of alchohol, ganza and other drug substance burnt by the police and excise department in 2009. It was an act of cleaning the dry state but it has polluted one of the important river. Photograph 3 The same stream in Photograph 1 is polluted by the flow of sewage, garbage dumped/thrown from homes, garage, schools, hostels, shops, etc. Such uncivilized act has killed this stream where fresh water flowed once and it fed many wild animals and birds. But now it became a stinking stream, the best breeding area for mosquitoes, bacteria, insects, rats, etc which is

4 causing nuisance to human lives. What a tragedy to our ecology. Photographer-Liangsi Niumai John Photograph-4 This photograph shows a garbage dumping tank near Marwaripati, main commercial hub of Dimapur. It is interesting the garbage dumping tank is empty inside. What have we done in the past? What we need to do from now onwards? Our unhygienic way of living has polluted the air, water & the soil. We have killed the streams, living organisms in the water, air and soil. Many human lives were lost because of our unacceptable and unethical lifestyle. We have denied the cause and effect of public hygiene and cleanliness. It is everyone’s responsibility to pay more attention to our surroundings especially public places. The Politicians, the municipalities, public, community and individuals let us wake up and stop blaming each other. Remember it is your job and my job. Support and cooperate anyone who acts to keep our city clean. Dont worry it is just a simple ‘ACT’. We just need to change our attitude, mindset and be more friendly to our environment. It will not cost you anything. That simple Act can do great wonders to our Life and Environment. It can purify the air, water, restore soil fertility, good health, peaceful life which leads to sustainable livelihood

Public Hygiene Source – Hygiene Evolving Ideas - http://www. faqs.org/childhood/Gr-Im/Hygiene.html A number of factors contributed to the zealous adherence to hygiene practice in Western European and American society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In public hygiene movements throughout Western Europe and North America the power of the state was used to enforce adherence to hygienic behavior, including rules prohibiting public spitting as well as building extensive sanitation and water infrastructures. One primary impetus in this process was the effort to educate the public through clinics, medical publications, and socialwork associations, including settlement houses. New organizations of the industrial bureaucracy contributed as well. Insurance companies in the United States contracted with public-health nurses at the Henry Street Settlement in New York to oversee and reform the hygienic habits of their subscribers. Manufacturers of soap and other

hygiene supplies used the modern media to sell products first by enlisting medical claims about the need to eliminate germs, and then by creating new disease concepts (such as the Listerine company’s “halitosis”). Hygiene advertisers goaded people to bathe for health and to avoid the judgments of others about cleanliness and odor. In one example, a 1928 advertisement from the Cleanliness Institute, the educational branch of the Association of Soap and Glycerin Producers, asked, “What do the neighbors think of her children?” Nurses played an important role in the spread and enforcement of hygiene rules in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Europe and the United States. Florence Nightingale supported theories of contagion, but not germ theory. Still, she and later nursing advocates made it clear that nurses, because of their medical expertise and womanly nature, were central to spreading proper methods of personal and domestic hygiene.

The following photographs and reflections are contributed by class VIII students of Ministers Hill Baptist Higher Secondary School, Kohima

Cleanliness Eloziio Sapriina Cleanliness is one of the best qualities. It is a part of our civilization. A man of dirty habits is far from civilization, while a man of clean habits is known to be a civilized person. When a man progresses in cleanliness he reaches the highest form of civilization. Cleanliness gives us a cheerful mind, a good and healthy body. It is very important for us to maintain personal cleanliness as people get wrong impression on us if we don’t maintain cleanliness. So, cleanliness of body is also necessary for self-respect. Lack of cleanliness can have certain social and health results. We should bath thoroughly and wear clean clothes to be fit and to have a healthy body. Washing our hands before and after our meal is also an important step to cleanliness of our body. Cleanliness also comes in con-

tact with public hygiene. People who work in the public, such as restaurant workers who do not wash their hands properly can spread a number of diseases and cause outbreaks of food borne illness. Lack of public hygiene can also cause many health problems. We should also ensure cleanliness in streets, parks and roads. Driving also becomes quite smooth when roads are clean. Use of dustbins should be encouraged by everyone. Cleanliness is very important as it comes next to Godliness as in the saying- “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Thus, keeping our surroundings and environment clean can help us live a life of environment clean can help us live a life of healthy living. Cleanliness benefits are with a healthy body and mind and let us progress in a civilized manner. Hence, cleanliness is considered so important and so everyone should be encouraged to take steps to cleanliness.

ILLUSTRATION by Chenivungo

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Manisha Thapa The issue of public hygiene and cleanliness has been the concern of humankind for quite a number of centuries. Hygiene became a major concern during the middle ages when the ‘Black Death’ and ‘Bubonic Plague’ killed millions of people in Europe. It becomes evident that the number one cause of disease and deaths were inadequate hygiene standards, crowded living conditions and poor sanitation. Thus, public hygiene and cleanliness are integrated parts of cavity and addressing these health problems is of vital importance in achieving the World Summit Goals and the Water and Sanitation Decade Goals and set by the member countries of the U.N. Global access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene facilities are essential requirements of human life and critical needs for reducing illness and child mortality. So in 2013, the United Nations General Assembly will seek development goals pertaining Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme beyond 2015. WASH mission is to develop and apply knowledge that will help improve hygiene, sanitation and house-hold water treatment worldwide. Of the themes, handwashing with soap at key time is one which has been the subject

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness” Meribeni Kikon

of most research and therefore is associated with the strongest evidence base. Handwashing at critical times including before eating or preparing food and after using the toilet can reduce diarrhea rates by almost 40%; acute respiratory infection by around 23% and incidence of pneumonia by around 50%. Several studies carried out during the 2006 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiration Syndrome (SARS) suggest that washing hands more than 10 times a day can cut the spread of the respiratory virus by 55%. Also a recent study shows that handwashing with soap by birth attendants and mothers significantly increased new born survival rates by upto 40%. Washing one’s hands, a form of hygiene, is thus the most effective way to prevent the spread of infectious disease and is commonly accepted in all areas of public health, including that health care and the food service industries. The positive behavior learnt by one generation- such as washing hands at critical moments- will be passed on the next perpetuating better health. And this can be counted as investment in the future. To conclude, ensuring WASH for all saves lives, helps to eradicate poverty and present opportunities for lives with dignity Advocate for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) on behalf of the poorest and the most vulnerable sections in our societies.

Hygiene means the preservation of health. Without hygiene it would be impossible to maintain a healthy life. Cleanliness is one of the good qualities and is a part of our human civilization. Public hygiene is important for maintaining public health. Even if your personal and domestic hygiene is perfect, you can fall ill if your environment is dirty. Your health is affected by the quality of water, air and sanitation. Cleanliness brings progress and improvement in all fields of activities. Clean environment is a must for a healthy life. Poor environmental conditions can lead to various health problems. They key to man’s health lies largely in his clean or unclean environment. In fact, much of man’s ill health is due to environmental factor such as air pollution, improper waste disposal etc. Deadly germs of many diseases like cholera, malaria, plague etc breeds in dirty environment. Public toilets should be kept clean. There should be proper flows of drainage, waste materials should be collected in a proper place and disposed of properly. Disposal of waste is a matter of serious concern. In fact, lots of wastes thrown out of our houses, offices, factories etc are dangerous for living beings.

Some hygiene rules like: Taking bath, cleaning the floors, keeping the utensils clean, keeping the dustbins covered, washing hands with soaps before eating, brushing teeth before and after meal etc are necessary to maintain public hygiene. Besides keeping ourselves clean it is also important to keep our home clean. The kitchen, toilet and garbage are the main areas where germs breed. It is therefore, very important that the hygiene condition of a community as a whole should be taken care to lead a healthy life.

Role of Sanitation in Kohima TEXT & PHOTOS: Perayingwangle Mbungcha It is said that “Kohima is the Mirror of Nagaland.” But it is also true that Kohima is also one of the non-hygienic cities. So, If Kohima is in this manner, how will the other parts of Nagaland be? Leaving aside the other parts of Nagaland, let us talk about Kohima. First about Public Hygiene and let us later go to Public Cleanliness.

Public Hygiene; A few years ago the surroundings was very clean and hygienic. There was less number of factories which produce many new items for our daily uses. But now days, many new factories have been set up. Every product which we buy, we can find written: ‘Please recycle. Care for your Environment’. But we never find people recycling. Instead we see them throwing it on the road without any concern for the environment. Many people throw their garbage into the stream and this allows the mosquitoes to produce more and creates health risks with diseases like malaria, dengue etc. We find garbage dumps overflowing and they block the drainage system.

Some people throw waste products and spit on the wall or roads but there is no one that controls them and so it affects the health and even of the innocent. Due to dirty public roads many people gets infected by different diseases. And some people even urinate on some corner side of the road which spoils the beauty of the city and spread foul smell. Everyone should care and be responsible for public hygiene so that the title, ‘The mirror of Nagaland remains suitable for Kohima.’ The Public Cleanliness; It is quite common that these days some areas are clean because the KMC is donating vehicles in the different wards to collect garbage. People collect their garbage in a particular point so that whenever the vehicle comes they can easily take it away. This method is most appreciated. Last year, shopkeepers were throwing their garbage on the road side but now, thanks to the KMC for providing vehicles to collect the garbage. Even Public Toilets have been provided and this is helping in creating public hygiene. We shall one day experience the cleanliness of our ‘Environment’.

Public Cleanliness, Hygiene and its Impact IMKUMLONG AIER Public cleanliness and hygiene is a subject matter which is important to the people. It is in relation to men and women and the surrounding environment in which they live. It lays emphasis on how the individual should maintain his/ her physical health and surrounding clean in order to live a healthy life. Thus it is about the way we should all live. Hygiene and cleanliness is of important value in our daily life, it plays a vital role in preventing one’s health from different types of illness and also prevent from mental stresses by providing a peaceful environment around us. Being hygienic and cleanliness also enhance the beauty of our surrounding. A man, who is more hygienic and clean, looks more impressive and energetic than the one who lives on unhygienic life. Poor quality of drinking water, ill-ventilated homes and public places, consumption of unclean and infected food, stagnant water, and lack of proper drainage system, open defecation and remaining ourselves physically unclean are some of the aspect of being unhygienic. There are lots of unwanted and ill effects of being living an unhygienic. Millions of children die due to diarrhea from contaminated water and food. Stagnant water is the breeding site of mosquito which spread malaria. Millions of people are exposed to

hazards chemicals in their work place or homes that leads to poor health due to industrial waste products, where controls are not adhered to. Unhygienic environment related issue that affects our health has been one of the most important triggers in the increasing awareness of the need for sanitation. We should minimize the utilization of non- biodegradable goods, as it will reduce the accumulation of garbage. We must be use clean and safe water for drinking and cooking purposes. Our house surrounding must be keep free from stagnant water and must not be dump garbage near by it. Open defecation must not be allowed and maintained proper drainage system. We must take regular bath, brushing teeth, wear clean clothes to keep body clean and healthy. Also we must have good ventilation so that sufficient sunlight and fresh air enter our home. It is the duty of every citizen to maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness, even though one maintain regular hygiene, it wouldn’t have much impact, unless his neighbours take same step. Keeping proper hygiene and sanitation can go a long way in preventing lots of water and air borne disease that surround us. It is said that if you have good health, you have everything, but if you lost it, you loss everything. Hence we all must contribute ourselves our share of responsibilities to live a happy and successful life.

PHOTOS by Imlichuba Jamir

PHOTOS by Ruovivonuo

PHOTOS by Vethito

Garbage is seen thrown in a drain in spite of the sign board written - Don’t throw garbage

A drain filled with garbage in Forest Colony.

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ILLUSTRATION by Hinohito

Issue Theme for November:

CORRUPTION

Deadline for Submission: November 10, 2012 Date of Publication: November 17, 2012

The Morung Express monthly supplement ‘Opinion’ will be published on the third Saturday of every month. In the Opinion, you are the storyteller. Please share your story by responding to the theme of the next issue: “CORRUPTION” Contributions can be in the form of photography, illustrations, photos of artwork, essays, first-person accounts, poetry, reported articles, and any other form of expression that can be printed.

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