Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) committee on environment and climate change (CoE&CC) on Thursday conducted a spot verification of three major rivers flowing through Kohima town—Dzüvürü near Mohonkhola, Vürierü at Merhülietsa, and Sanuorü along the New Secretariat Road—to assess the extent of pollution and environmental degradation.
The committee members led by its chairman Achumbemo Kikon, included Mhathung Yanthan, Hekani Jakhalu, Zhaleo Rio, Nyusietho Nyuthe and was accompanied by 9 Kohima Town A/C MLA Dr. Tseilhoutuo Rhütso and several municipal councillors.
During the visit, the team observed the deteriorating condition of the rivers due to rampant dumping of garbage, including plastic waste, septic discharge, untreated sewage, and other hazardous materials. Officials expressed grave concern over the environmental and health implications for the residents of Kohima.
Speaking to the media, Achumbemo highlighted the urgent need for collective action to protect Kohima’s water bodies. “We are a newly formed committee under the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The Committee on Environment and Climate Change was constituted in February this year with a mandate to address pressing environmental challenges,” he said.
The committee chairman said that Kohima, despite facing water scarcity, continued to allow its rivers to be polluted unchecked. “The biggest challenge today is the environment—both natural and man-made. Rivers like Dzüvürü and Sanuorü have become dumping grounds for solid and liquid waste. This is a wake-up call,” Achumbemo stated.
He revealed that the committee plans to hold multiple rounds of consultations and submit concrete recommendations to the government. He appealed to village councils, municipal leaders, and the general public to take ownership of their local rivers and refrain from polluting them. “We often compare our land to places like Singapore and Switzerland. If we truly value that comparison, we must act responsibly,” he said.
Advisor for Urban Development and committee member Zhaleo Rio said the state government has already initiated some programmes under which Sanuorü river will be part of an “interception and diversion” project. “We are working on treating wastewater before releasing it back into the rivers. The challenge, however, remains during the lean season.
In the monsoon, things get washed away, but pollution continues to build silently,” Zhaleo remarked. He pointed out that under the directives of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the newly formed assembly committee has a broader mandate that goes beyond Kohima, aiming to reach other urban areas like Dimapur.
CoE&CC plans to work in coordination with around 17 government departments to address water management, waste treatment, and long-term climate resilience strategies across Nagaland.
Today’s inspection marked the beginning of what the committee described as a “sustained and inclusive mission” to protect the ecological balance of the state. The team emphasized that without a shift in public attitude and inter-departmental cooperation, Nagaland’s fragile environment could suffer irreversible damage.
Other environmental protection activities including creating awareness on waste segregation and management, recycling of water, construction of waste materials incinerators etc. was expected to be taken up by the committee in the coming days across all the districts of the state.