Regional Workshop on Public Health and WASH for NE States: A NeVolution Initiative

A landmark Regional Workshop on Public Health and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) for North Eastern States was held yesterday at Dimapur, Nagaland bringing together key stakeholders to address pressing sanitation and public health challenges in the region. The event, organized under the NeVolution initiative, saw participation from policymakers, health experts, civil society organizations, and representatives from both state and central governments.NeVolution, led by Dr Priscilla C Ngaihte, NITI Aayog saw Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur Shri Dharun Kumar S presenting a topic on ‘Swatch Northeast.’ The workshop emphasized the unique challenges faced by the eight North Eastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—due to their difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, and high levels of water contamination. The discussions revolved around three key pillars – ‘Swachh North East’ – Focusing on sanitation, solid and liquid waste management; ‘Swajal North East’ – addressing water quality issues, including biological and chemical contaminants and ‘Swasth North East’ – highlighting the public health implications of inadequate WASH infrastructure.
The workshop was inaugurated by Y Patton, Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland, who stressed the urgent need for a sustainable, community-driven approach to WASH. Jacob Zhimomi, Minister of PHED, Nagaland, emphasized the progress made under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Amongst others, DC, Churachandpur, Dharun Kumar S discussed the rise in waterborne diseases and the need for improved infection control.
The workshop concluded with a set of actionable recommendations to enhance WASH services in the region, including sustaining ODF+ progress through decentralized waste management systems; expanding tap water coverage in remote areas under the Jal Jeevan Mission; improving water purification technologies to mitigate arsenic and fluoride contamination; enhancing public health infrastructure to reduce the burden of preventable diseases and strengthening government-community partnerships for long-term sustainability.