Kohima, Feb. 12: Nagaland chief minister T.R. Zeliang inaugurated a solid waste management facility at Lerie here yesterday.

The Rs 48.04-crore project was taken up as part of the Centre's North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Programme through the ministry of urban development. The state investment programme,department of Nagaland, is the implementing agency of the project. It is supported by a loan aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Zeliang said the state was entering a new chapter in urban sanitation and waste management with the facility.

Saying that the solid waste management facility had been constructed for scientific and hygienic handling and disposal of garbage of Kohima city, he called on the Kohima Municipal Council to be efficient and make timely collection of municipal waste from households and market places.

Zeliang appealed to the people of Nagaland to adopt cleanliness as a habit and a way of life and thanked ADB for funding the project.

S.I. Jamir, adviser for urban development, said the facility was first-of-its-kind in the state and thanked contractor, Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, Hyderabad, for completing the project.

The facility includes a compost plant building to generate manure at the rate of 50 tonnes per day from biodegradable garbage, vehicle garages, buildings like administrative block, toilets, security room and the like.