A workshop on “waste management” was organized by Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) Friday at its office premises which was attended by 62 student nurses and faculty from Nursing College, Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research, Dimapur, Nagaland.
In the programme, a power-point presentation on “recycling and its benefits” was presented by assistant programme officer, Mhasizonuo Angami wherein students were introduced on how recycling helps in protecting the environment and also in reducing waste.
She also gave a brief introduction on recycling by citing examples and encouraged the students saying “think before you throw because every small/ little step you take in minimizing waste will be a big benefit for the future generation”.
Sr. scientific assistant Yanathung Kithan also gave a power-point presentation on “municipal solid waste management” and stressed on the production of waste and the importance of segregation and proper management.
The students were given a brief idea about how solid waste was effecting the environment and ways to manage the waste. A short animation on human activities in destroying “our” environment was also shown.
A power-point presentation on “bio-medical waste management” was given by scientist B, Akangmeren Imchen who said that according to various surveys and reports only 10-15 percent of total waste generated by hospitals was infectious and needs treatment.
He said rest falls under the category of general waste which does not need any treatment and added that if all the waste is mixed, the entire waste generated from a hospital becomes infected.
Imchen said as the quantity of waste to be treated increases, the hospital fails to treat all its waste and a large chunk of this infectious waste reaches municipal dumps, and increases the possibility of spreading infection.
After the programme the students were given demonstration on various activities and programmes undertaken by the office. The students were given hindsight on the monitoring of air and water quality and were also given a practical demonstration on paper recycling and its reuse.
It may be noted that NPCB is a statutory body entrusted to implement environmental laws and rules within the jurisdiction of the state of Nagaland.