Greening minds of schoolkids

KSPCB's project links industries, schools in conservation efforts

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is pushing ahead for the third consecutive year with its successful Green Nurturing Programme (GNP) for schoolchildren.

First conceived of as the Green Think initiative, GNP was designed to prepare a roadmap for a sustainable future. The idea was to use green design as an effective instrument of social change. The journey began with a “Green Think” poster representing the seed of the tree as a brain from which a full-fledged tree emerges as “green thought”. This brand called Green Think was created in 2010.

The first landmark on the journey from poster to the GNP was by way of the Green Think exhibition. A high number of footfalls of schoolchildren at the exhibition indicated that they were extremely keen on understanding and preserving their environment. This led to the conceptualisation of the GNP which was launched in 2011-2012, targeting the next generation of schoolchildren to cover Mysore and Mandya districts. In 2012-13, it was extended to three more districts - Udupi, Kolar and Mangalore.

The KSPCB, in its annual action plan for 2013-14, has proposed that the GNP, given its success and its having been well-received by all stakeholders involved - KSPCB, industries, school managements, schoolchildren and various departments of the government like agriculture and forests - be extended to several more districts across the State, so that it can become a movement among schoolchildren.

Viji Karthikeyan, environmental officer with KSPCB, said, “Since involvement with the GNP is entirely voluntary, it will take another month at least to know which districts the programme has spread to and which industries and schools have responded positively to it. The successful implementation of the programme in the past two years gives us the confidence that it will become more impactful this year.”

KSPCB’s approach in the GNP has been to connect industries and the schools in their local surroundings. The objective of the GNP is to provide opportunities for schoolchildren to redirect their consciousness and actions to create a more sustainable planet. KSPCB wanted to create a programme that would give the children hands-on experiences through “action projects” in their local environments and ecosystems.

In the GNP, industries adopt nearby schools and take up environment-related activities whereby concepts of conservation, protection and management of ecosystems can be understood by the schoolchildren through daily, direct interactions. The industries are also encouraged to enhance the environmental settings in the schools through participation of the children.

The large majority of schools which were part of GNP have seen structural and contextual improvements. Eight schools were chosen for adoption in his area, says M Nanjunda Gowda, resource person for the schools’ cluster group in Malur, Kolar district.

“We had a sapling-planting drive helped by the forest and agriculture departments and the RK Foundation. Local industries like Decor Pvt Ltd and Chloride Alloys helped schools with equipment, sanitation facilities, underground water tank and RO (reverse osmosis) water purifying systems in our area, which faces fluoride problems. This year too, we are working hard to spread GNP to more schools.”

Across these districts, the GNP programme has helped schools to be provided with CFL bulbs that cut down on power use and expenditure, rainwater harvesting systems, blueprints for planting of saplings and greening of landscapes, help with creating composting facilities for the solid wastes generated in schools from midday meal schemes or other sources, and so on.

The GNP was first implemented in Mysore and Mandya districts in 2011-2012. Several industries came forward to participate. They include Jubilant Life Sciences, Bannari Amman Sugars, Bacardi, AT&S, Rane Madras Ltd, TVS Motors, Nanjangud JK Tyres, Triton L&T, Automotive Axles and Falcon Tyres in Mysore. In Mandya, NSL Sugars, Chamundeswari Sugars and Coromandel Sugars participated.

These industries adopted 104 schools, spread across Mysore and Mandya. A wide range of eco-friendly activities and actions were introduced to the students who were encouraged to form eco-clubs and get involved with exchanging power-intensive bulbs for CFL bulbs on their campuses, going in for LED lighting, understanding how to recycle materials and promote eco-friendly paints, generate compost for fertilisers to green the campuses and run bio-gas plants, create herbal gardens that revive India’s medicinal herbal heritage, et al.

That “successful” launch encouraged KSPCB to go in for a second round in 2012-13, when the GNP was expanded to three more districts across Karnataka. Udupi, Mangalore and Kolar joined Mysore and Mandya, with 28 industries participating in Mangalore, 16 in Udupi, three in Mandya, eight in Kolar and 23 in Mysore (six urban and 17 rural). Industries in Mangalore adopted 60, Udupi 150, Mandya 20, Mysore 79 (both rural and urban) and Kolar nine schools.

Industries have been generous in funding the GNP in 2012-13. For instance, the amount spent by the Mangalore-based industries for the GNP was Rs 31.9 lakh, of which Rs 30 lakh was earmarked exclusively for the schools. Udupi industries put in Rs 17.42 lakh.
The Mandya industries had earmarked Rs 5.26 lakh towards the schools, but spent only Rs 3.80 lakh. The six Mysore (urban) industries earmarked Rs 10 lakh for 12 schools, but spent only Rs 8.2 lakh. The 17 industries in Mysore (rural) earmarked Rs 21 lakh and spent Rs 20 lakh. The Kolar industries, 8 in number, spent Rs 10.81 lakh on nine schools.
As things stand, GNP has been well-received by industries, school managements and the schoolchildren. KSPCB officials hope that it can be extended to several more districts across the State, so that it can turn into a movement among schoolchildren.