Green crusaders on ‘Save Planet’ mission

Environment education in many schools across the country has moved beyond bookish knowledge and is helping shape bright, young green crusaders.

As many as 60 of the nation’s best green crusaders from different schools met in Pune recently for a meet organised by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER).

Although aged between 13 and 17 years, these youngsters were well aware of how to deal with land degradation caused by brick kilns and recycling waste generated by schools, besides novel ways to increase the green cover, save water and abate pollution.

The best of the projects by the 60 green crusaders were displayed at the Pune national meet that concluded on Friday. Seven of the top projects were highlighted at the meet.

Mahima Sagar, a standard IX student of Heritage School, Jammu, and her classmates highlighted the problem faced by the farmers around Jammu who were selling their lands. They found that the brick kilns were damaging soil. The students then thought of ways to increase soil productivity and the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board even sanctioned funds for the project chalked out by them.

Arjun Rao (std VIII) from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Dharwad, Karnataka, and his classmates presented an eco-friendly washing machine. “This pedal-powered machine not only uses less water as compared to normal washing machines but also gives the benefit of physical exercise,” Rao said.

Akhilesh Kulkarni from Holy Cross English High School, Aurangabad, was fascinated with the idea of city farming, in which one can grow trees in less space with less soil. Not only this, these trees can also be shifted from one place to another. “This is the art of growing trees in a drum with a hole. One can grow several trees in one drum. We have papaya, lemon and medicinal herbs grown in drums in our school,” said Akhilesh.

Standard IX students of St Lawrence High School, Nashik, conducted a study of the soil around the city and concluded that a majority of the farmers were using chemical pesticides rather than organic fertilisers. “We are now creating awareness among them about organic farming,” said Pratik Naik.

Shreyaa Kapoor of Ahlcon International School, New Delhi, and her classmates have devised various ways to recycle waste generated by the school.

Worried about the garbage and pollution around their school, the students of Kolaperumal Chetty Vaishnav Secondary School, Chennai, planted over 150 Ashoka trees, which they say absorb sound and pollution. Apart from this, they also created a roof garden with over 3,500 trees.

Initiating another innovation, the students planted banana trees where the water from the school canteen flowed, to absorb impurities. They have also constructed a canal around the school to collect rain water, which is chanelled into the garden.