<p>An aided school in Ullal is teaching its children on how wet waste can be managed effectively without handing it over to waste collectors. </p>.<p>The students from eight to tenth standard of Aided Bharath High School bring a portion of wet waste generated in their houses in a tiffin box, to convert it into something valuable, compost in the school. The organic manure is used for plants and vegetables grown on the school premises. The school, with help of Ullal CMC (City Municipal Council) and progressive farmer Vijay Uliya, launched a drive — ‘Amritha Yojane’ — to convert waste into compost in December 2021.</p>.<p>School Headmistress Vinaya Kumari said children are made aware that waste is their responsibility and should not be thrown irresponsibly. We demonstrated on how the waste can be converted into compost. In the beginning, farmer Vijay took all teachers in school into confidence and created awareness among the students on the scientific management of solid waste. “The CMC too came forward to support the initiative,” she recollected with gratitude.</p>.<p><strong>Cost-effective</strong></p>.<p>Farmer Vijay Uliya said: “The waste is converted into manure in a cost-effective manner. The bin, made of fiber, and an old freezer used in fishing boat, have been customized to collect one tonne of waste. The students, on an average, get around 15-kg of wet waste daily. It takes around 45 to 50 days to convert waste into manure. From December till April this year we got around 25 kg of compost.”</p>.<p>As the school reopened in mid May, students of eight standard will be sensitised on turning waste into compost tiffin and will receive tiffin boxes soon. Leachate from waste is also used as organic manure for plants. “We are not using any microbes for converting waste into manure,” Vijay and Physical Education teacher Preetham Kumar said. The students are also engaged in activities that takes them beyond waste.</p>.<p>Vinaya Kumari, who teaches mathematics to students, said: “Children daily weigh the waste they bring and make a note of it. Later, they are asked to prepare a bar chart based on the amount of waste collected.”</p>.<p>A unique initiative</p>.<p>Cluster resource person Mohan Kumar, lauding the initiative, said, “It is a matter of pride that this school is among 18 schools in the cluster that has taken a unique initiative to convert waste into manure.”</p>.<p>Students Deeksha and Chandana said through the initiative they have learnt to manage waste scientifically and realised that wet waste is useful when it is converted into compost.</p>.<p>“If all households take similar initiative to scientifically manage wet waste, then garbage will no longer be a menace. We also want to take up similar initiatives in our houses,” they said.</p>
<p>An aided school in Ullal is teaching its children on how wet waste can be managed effectively without handing it over to waste collectors. </p>.<p>The students from eight to tenth standard of Aided Bharath High School bring a portion of wet waste generated in their houses in a tiffin box, to convert it into something valuable, compost in the school. The organic manure is used for plants and vegetables grown on the school premises. The school, with help of Ullal CMC (City Municipal Council) and progressive farmer Vijay Uliya, launched a drive — ‘Amritha Yojane’ — to convert waste into compost in December 2021.</p>.<p>School Headmistress Vinaya Kumari said children are made aware that waste is their responsibility and should not be thrown irresponsibly. We demonstrated on how the waste can be converted into compost. In the beginning, farmer Vijay took all teachers in school into confidence and created awareness among the students on the scientific management of solid waste. “The CMC too came forward to support the initiative,” she recollected with gratitude.</p>.<p><strong>Cost-effective</strong></p>.<p>Farmer Vijay Uliya said: “The waste is converted into manure in a cost-effective manner. The bin, made of fiber, and an old freezer used in fishing boat, have been customized to collect one tonne of waste. The students, on an average, get around 15-kg of wet waste daily. It takes around 45 to 50 days to convert waste into manure. From December till April this year we got around 25 kg of compost.”</p>.<p>As the school reopened in mid May, students of eight standard will be sensitised on turning waste into compost tiffin and will receive tiffin boxes soon. Leachate from waste is also used as organic manure for plants. “We are not using any microbes for converting waste into manure,” Vijay and Physical Education teacher Preetham Kumar said. The students are also engaged in activities that takes them beyond waste.</p>.<p>Vinaya Kumari, who teaches mathematics to students, said: “Children daily weigh the waste they bring and make a note of it. Later, they are asked to prepare a bar chart based on the amount of waste collected.”</p>.<p>A unique initiative</p>.<p>Cluster resource person Mohan Kumar, lauding the initiative, said, “It is a matter of pride that this school is among 18 schools in the cluster that has taken a unique initiative to convert waste into manure.”</p>.<p>Students Deeksha and Chandana said through the initiative they have learnt to manage waste scientifically and realised that wet waste is useful when it is converted into compost.</p>.<p>“If all households take similar initiative to scientifically manage wet waste, then garbage will no longer be a menace. We also want to take up similar initiatives in our houses,” they said.</p>
