Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday picked up plastic waste from a road here with a pair of tongs and launched a statewide mass campaign 'Shramdaan' (voluntary work) to do away with single-use plastic from the state.
He was also joined by his cabinet colleagues and MLAs on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The state was also declared as open defecation free (ODF) on Wednesday.
The advisor for urban development and municipal affairs departments, MLA Dr Neikiesalie, Nicky Kire, declared the state as ODF, in presence of the chief minister here at a function that was organised by the state's urban development department.
Addressing a gathering, Rio said, the mass collection of plastic waste across the state is in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to keep the environment clean and also do away with single-use plastic, particularly in urban areas and make India a plastic-free country.
"God has created our planet so beautifully. Mother Earth can provide for our needs but cannot satisfy our greed. Because of our greed, we have come to face many problems, including climate change and man-made disasters, he said.
The chief minister said that it is very easy to blame the government for not cleaning the town but everything depends on the people.
He appealed to all the citizens of Kohima and Dimapur to lead the way in keeping the city clean.
Later, Rio along with his cabinet colleagues and MLAs launched three central flagship programmes such as Kohima Smart City Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and Pradhaan Mantri Awas Yojana - Housing for All (Urban) at the NBCC Convention Centre here.
"Today, there are very serious issues confronting the urban dwellers unlike before," he said, adding that in Nagaland, there are many settlements in the process of transition.
On the occasion, the chief minister also released an anti-plastic theme song and a 100 days promotional video.
He also distributed cloth bags among people.
He also launched five water ATMs for public use, flagged off 11 sanitation vehicles for urban local bodies under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission' (Urban).
"As responsible citizens, we have to learn to manage our wastes," Rio said.
All these efforts will go a long way in ensuring better quality of life and ease of living to the urban dwellers, the chief minister added.
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