From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: It was a proud moment for West Khasi Hills District when Deputy Chief Minister Rowell Lyngdoh presented the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) to 44 villages of the district for an open defecation-free environment. The award was received by all the village headmen from West Khasi Hills on behalf of their respected villages.
Out of all the 113 villages in West Khasi Hills that applied for this award, 21 villages from Nongstoin Block, 6 from Mairang, 5 from Mawthadraishan, 1 from Ranikor and 11 from Mawkyrwat Block emerged winners for this award.
This achievement was only due to the untiring efforts of the Executive Engineer PHE A. Lyngkhoi as the Member secretary of the District Water and Sanitation Mission and the staff of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) under the able guidance of the Deputy Commissioner West Khasi Hills S. Kharlyngdoh (IAS) also the Chairman of the DWSM.
“I’m happy to know that the Village Headmen of all the villages in West Khasi Hills have a far- sighted vision to change the people’s behavior because by implemention of the TSC in West Khasi Hills, all the villages especially in rural areas have come to know how to construct a toilet for their good health”, S. Kharlyngdoh said.
He also said that in 2009-10 there were only two villages (Khynrin and Diskiang) who received the award.
“The district through the Executive Engineer PHE will propose more than four hundreds villages in 2012-13 for this NGP award and we hope that many villages in West Khasi Hills will receive this award”, the DC added.
Speaking on the occasion, Rowell Lyngdoh said that the main objective of the Nirmal Gram Puraskar was to bring about greater awareness about sanitation. He also informed that Total Sanitation Campaign TSC is a comprehensive programme to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with the broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation.
Lyngdoh also called upon the villagers of Diskiang villages and other villages of West Khasi Hills to maintain community and personal hygiene and clean environment to set examples for other villages to emulate them so as to enable the State of Meghalaya to achieve the goal of Total Sanitation by 2017 as laid down by Total Sanitation Campaign Guidelines.