The NSS Cell of Rajiv Gandhi University at Rono Hills, Doimukh in Arunachal Pradesh conducted a day-long online workshop for NSS volunteers on ‘Swachhta & Jalshakti’ on Saturday.
Thw orkshop was organized by the central university in collaboration with Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education under the Education Department of Human Resource Development Ministry.
The event aimed to introduce the aspects of Swachhta and Jalshakti Campus and to enable higher educational institutions to work with people of rural and urban India in identifying challenges and evolving appropriate solutions for accelerating sustainable sanitation and water management.
It also aimed to create a virtuous cycle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging professions.
The inaugural programme was graced by Vice Chancellor Prof. Saket Kushwaha and Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof. Amitav Mitra.
The NSS volunteers from all the four units of NSS Cell, RGU took active participation in the online programnme.
Dr. Anil Mili, NSS Programme Coordinator introduced the aim and objective of the workshop.
As the whole world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year, he remembered what Gandhi had said: “Sanitation is more important than independence”.
In the address, Pro-VC Prof. Mitra spoke on sustainable development goals and highlighted the three key points namely clean and green environment, energy conservation and water conservation.
In the inauguration speech, Vice Chancellor Prof. Kushwaha shared the vision and mission of the university on waste management and water conservation.
He stressed on creation of teams and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ that can fix responsibility on the persons (including NSS volunteers).
The VC also stressed on the processes of waste management and water conservation in the university campus.
The VC discussed the collaboration and engagement with the community and the government for reducing carbon footprints for clean and green environment.
The first technical session was participated by Dr. Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, head (in-charge) of the Department of Social Work, RGU on Swachh Campus.
In his session, he emphasized on making Swachh Campus initiative possible through a systematic approach by including different stakeholders keeping students specially NSS volunteers.
In the technical session, resource person John Gaingamlung Gangmei discussed the formation of Swatchhta and Jalshkti group.
Gangmei said the Swatchhta and Jalshkti group will consist of five groups, namely, Greenery Group, Water management Group, Energy Conservation Group, Liquid and Solid Waste Management Group, Sanitation and Hygiene Group.
Resource person Dr. Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Assistant Professor of Department of Social Work mentioned the World Health Organization states that on individual requires around 25 liters of water daily for meeting ones’ basic hygiene and food needs.
He also said the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by NITI Aayog in 2018 highlights that 21 major Indian cities are racing to reach zero groundwater level by 2020.
In the concluding remarks, Bhaskar Jyoti Chutia, NSS PO said NSS Cell, RGU would form groups and conduct online sessions on various issues in coming days.