News & Announcement
Sikkim Technical Learning Workshop on Sustainable Sanitation
Gangtok, September 7 (IPR): A two-day comprehensive Sikkim Technical Learning Workshop on Sustainable Sanitation commenced today at the State Panchayat Resource Centre, Deorali, Gangtok.
The workshop is organised by the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Parvat Manthan Forum in collaboration with the Urban Development Department (UDD), Government of Sikkim, and with support from the Viega Foundation.
The workshop aims to strengthen institutional capacities, facilitate knowledge-sharing and explore innovative approaches towards effective liquid and used water management. It brings together representatives from government departments, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), technical institutions and development partners.
The workshop focuses on climate-resilient and decentralised sanitation solutions and sustainable financing models tailored to the unique hilly terrain of Sikkim.
A key highlight of the inaugural session was the release of the baseline assessment report titled “Sunaulo, Samriddha, ani Samarth Sikkim: Pathways to Liquid and Used Water Management.” The report was jointly released by Mr Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Ms Yishey D. Yongda, Secretary, UDD, Mr Sailendra Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, PHED, Mr Rabi Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer, UDD, Dr Mahreen Matto, NIUA, Mr Dinker Gurung, UDD, Mr Gayden Chopel, Municipal Commissioner, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Mr Hemant Rai, Special Secretary-cum-Director (Municipal Administration), Mr Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia, Special Secretary-cum-State Mission Director, SBM-U, Mr Yogen Syangden, MEO, Namchi Municipal Council, Mr Dilip Dong, Nayabazar - Jorethang Nagar Panchayat and Mr Aasim Mansuri, CWAS.
Delivering the special address, Mr Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, emphasised the need to approach sanitation development in Sikkim through a climate-resilient lens, particularly in view of challenges such as erratic rainfall and landslide hazards. He stressed the importance of sustainable sanitation development in the State and urged participants to actively engage with resource persons and make full use of the workshop as a platform for knowledge-sharing and capacity building.
Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA, delivered the keynote address virtually and highlighted the role of the Parvat Manthan Hill Forum in addressing the distinctive sanitation and urban development challenges faced by Himalayan states.
The first presentation was on “Future Pathways for Sikkim: Climate Resilient Sanitation Planning” by Mr Shantanu Padhi, NIUA, focusing on how Sikkim’s terrain, climate risks and water systems influence infrastructure planning and development.
Followed by a technical session featuring a presentation on “Strengthening Urban Sanitation in Sikkim through Reuse and Circularity” by Mr Sailendra Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, PHED, along with the perspectives from the Urban Local Bodies.
The session also highlighted PHED’s priorities towards achieving 100 percent sewage management through a combination of centralised and decentralised systems, supported by safe and sustainable management practices. The session was followed by a plenary discussion moderated by Mr Sumit Gautam, GIZ.
The technical proceedings of the first session included a panel discussion featuring experts such as Mr. Krishna (CDD India), Ms. Saiba Gupta (CEEW), Mr. Abhishek Nath (Loo Café) and Mr. Rahul Sachdeva (NIUA), who shared their experiences and insights on sustainable sanitation, used water management and decentralised solutions suited to hilly regions.
The second session focused on “Planning and Financing Sustainable Urban Sanitation”, with emphasis on investment-ready project preparation. The session featured a departmental presentation by Mr Dinker Gurung, Chief Town Planner, along with ULB perspectives from Municipal Executive Officers of Jorethang, Mangan and Singtam. Financial and urban planning experts Prof. Shrawan Acharya, Mr Aasim Mansuri, CWAS, Mr Niranjan Kapil SIUDP, Mr Xerxes Rao, UMC and Ms Tejaswi Joshi, CSTEP, also participated in the discussions as the panelists.
The programme was attended by officials from the Urban Development Department, Public Health Engineering Department, Rural Development Department, State Pollution Control Board, Sikkim, all nine Urban Local Bodies and other experts.
The day featured a combination of high-level technical presentations, ground-level administrative perspectives and expert panel discussions, with sessions specifically curated to address the systemic challenges associated with sanitation planning in hilly terrains, including landslide risks, erratic rainfall, and fragile water ecosystems.
The workshop will resume tomorrow with further deliberations on community partnerships and the development of localised roadmaps for Urban Local Bodies in Sikkim.
The workshop is organised by the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance, the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Parvat Manthan Forum in collaboration with the Urban Development Department (UDD), Government of Sikkim, and with support from the Viega Foundation.
The workshop aims to strengthen institutional capacities, facilitate knowledge-sharing and explore innovative approaches towards effective liquid and used water management. It brings together representatives from government departments, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), technical institutions and development partners.
The workshop focuses on climate-resilient and decentralised sanitation solutions and sustainable financing models tailored to the unique hilly terrain of Sikkim.
A key highlight of the inaugural session was the release of the baseline assessment report titled “Sunaulo, Samriddha, ani Samarth Sikkim: Pathways to Liquid and Used Water Management.” The report was jointly released by Mr Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Ms Yishey D. Yongda, Secretary, UDD, Mr Sailendra Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, PHED, Mr Rabi Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer, UDD, Dr Mahreen Matto, NIUA, Mr Dinker Gurung, UDD, Mr Gayden Chopel, Municipal Commissioner, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Mr Hemant Rai, Special Secretary-cum-Director (Municipal Administration), Mr Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia, Special Secretary-cum-State Mission Director, SBM-U, Mr Yogen Syangden, MEO, Namchi Municipal Council, Mr Dilip Dong, Nayabazar - Jorethang Nagar Panchayat and Mr Aasim Mansuri, CWAS.
Delivering the special address, Mr Jitendra Singh Raje, IAS, emphasised the need to approach sanitation development in Sikkim through a climate-resilient lens, particularly in view of challenges such as erratic rainfall and landslide hazards. He stressed the importance of sustainable sanitation development in the State and urged participants to actively engage with resource persons and make full use of the workshop as a platform for knowledge-sharing and capacity building.
Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA, delivered the keynote address virtually and highlighted the role of the Parvat Manthan Hill Forum in addressing the distinctive sanitation and urban development challenges faced by Himalayan states.
The first presentation was on “Future Pathways for Sikkim: Climate Resilient Sanitation Planning” by Mr Shantanu Padhi, NIUA, focusing on how Sikkim’s terrain, climate risks and water systems influence infrastructure planning and development.
Followed by a technical session featuring a presentation on “Strengthening Urban Sanitation in Sikkim through Reuse and Circularity” by Mr Sailendra Sharma, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, PHED, along with the perspectives from the Urban Local Bodies.
The session also highlighted PHED’s priorities towards achieving 100 percent sewage management through a combination of centralised and decentralised systems, supported by safe and sustainable management practices. The session was followed by a plenary discussion moderated by Mr Sumit Gautam, GIZ.
The technical proceedings of the first session included a panel discussion featuring experts such as Mr. Krishna (CDD India), Ms. Saiba Gupta (CEEW), Mr. Abhishek Nath (Loo Café) and Mr. Rahul Sachdeva (NIUA), who shared their experiences and insights on sustainable sanitation, used water management and decentralised solutions suited to hilly regions.
The second session focused on “Planning and Financing Sustainable Urban Sanitation”, with emphasis on investment-ready project preparation. The session featured a departmental presentation by Mr Dinker Gurung, Chief Town Planner, along with ULB perspectives from Municipal Executive Officers of Jorethang, Mangan and Singtam. Financial and urban planning experts Prof. Shrawan Acharya, Mr Aasim Mansuri, CWAS, Mr Niranjan Kapil SIUDP, Mr Xerxes Rao, UMC and Ms Tejaswi Joshi, CSTEP, also participated in the discussions as the panelists.
The programme was attended by officials from the Urban Development Department, Public Health Engineering Department, Rural Development Department, State Pollution Control Board, Sikkim, all nine Urban Local Bodies and other experts.
The day featured a combination of high-level technical presentations, ground-level administrative perspectives and expert panel discussions, with sessions specifically curated to address the systemic challenges associated with sanitation planning in hilly terrains, including landslide risks, erratic rainfall, and fragile water ecosystems.
The workshop will resume tomorrow with further deliberations on community partnerships and the development of localised roadmaps for Urban Local Bodies in Sikkim.
