Waste management in schools is one of the components in the action plan of the Corporation’s Green Army for the coming year.
V. Nikhilesh Paliath, a Green Army volunteer, says the plan promotes waste management along with other activities in a manner that can be taken up by schools. This involves segregation at source and composting of food leftovers. The aim is to put in place a mechanism for segregation and composting by Onam in the 30 schools where the Green Army functions.
The Corporation has prepared a separate project for the Green Army’s activities, and if schools submit proposals for the infrastructure required such as bins for segregating or a mobile Thumboormuzhi bin for composting, funds can be provided.
But till the funds arrive, ad hoc arrangements can be made with the support of Green Army volunteers. “By the end of this academic year, a permanent solution to the problem should be in place,” he says.
On the issue of school waste management, Nikhilesh says though many schools have large-scale biogas plants, these require servicing once students return after the two-month vacation. This technical support may not be available always, making it difficult for schools to get the plants going again. Composting is a way to overcome this hurdle, though biogas may be beneficial economically, says Nikhilesh. Nikhilesh says students attending the Green Army camp have shown a lot of initiative in trying out techniques such as composting in flower pots, which is a huge encouragement for other students.
Expansion
The Green Army also plans to set up its units in all schools in the city limits. “We have a base of 150 volunteers who are familiar with green protocol, segregation of waste, and related concepts.