NMMC schools to teach environment awareness with green initiatives

The NMMC will identify four schools where a pilot project will begin from the academic year commencing in June. Projects such as solar energy, composting, water harvesting and recycling of waste will be set up in these schools.

NMMC Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said clubbing various activities of environment will have a demonstrative impact on the minds of students at a young age. “Instead of just giving classes on the importance of environment and holding few activities once in a while, a green school means bringing about the change in the way of life of these children, who will be forming the next generation,” he said, adding how there are such school in the Netherlands keeping in mind to create the next generation of the population where individuals are proactively bringing changes in way of life that support the environment.

Elaborating on the plan, Bangar said, “Increasing size of windows of the classrooms to ensure more sunlight and good ventilation, setting up solar panels, installing a composting plant on school premises so leftovers from tiffin and other green waste on premises can be processed, and the practice of collecting plastic waste on the premises will be done in these schools. This will help the environment but the objective here is to make it a regular practice for the younger generation.”

Activities and competitions will also be planned around it. “For example, children can be asked to collect plastic items. Once they are brought in, children can be asked to brainstorm on how they can be recycled,” he said.

The four schools will be selected from across the state. The plan includes expanding it to all 75 schools run by NMMC. The expenditure will be met from the regular maintenance budget of civic schools.