Varanasi: Swachh Ganga Eco Clubs will be established in as many as 50 schools near the ghats under the aegis of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded Ganga Action Plan to inculcate a sense of responsibility among students towards environment and keeping Ganga clean.The clubs will be formed within 10 days.
A two-day teacher training workshop centered around this theme was jointly organized by Centre of excellence of ministry of environment and forests, Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) from Tuesday. Teachers and representatives of more than 50 schools participated in it.
Divulging details of it to TOI, CEE spokesperson Jitendra Patel said, "Through Clean Ganga Eco clubs, we intend to keep the river clean and also conserve the environment by creating awareness about it. In the first phase, around 50 eco-clubs of schoolchildren will be formed for conservation of environment and Ganga."
Patel said that these clubs will bring the students closer to nature and encourage them to keep the holy river clean. The clubs would acquaint the students to the problems pertaining to their surrounding environment and Ganga and also give them a first-hand experience of working with voluntary organizations and preparing an action-plan towards improving the scenario. Each club would consist of 25-50 students (more from junior classes), based on their areas of interest, who would be made aware of the river and environment.
Each of the clubs will be given a unique name like NamamiGange Club, Kashi Club or Save Ganga Club. The principal would be made president of the club while a teacher would be appointed as supervisor or in-charge to monitor the activities of the club.
Municipal commissioner SP Shahi said that the formation of the clubs is a part of JICA's public awareness programme. As part of its programme, JICA was supposed to set up eco-clubs in 50 schools every year. Owing to unavailability of an executing agency, it could not be started in 2012. But, CEE has now been engaged to give a boost to conserving environment and especially Ganga.
Maharashtra based firm to start household garbage collection
Varanasi: A Maharashtra-based firm is being engaged to carry out door-to-door garbage collection in 25 of the remaining wards across the city. Municipal commissioner met the representatives of the firm in Delhi recently in this connection.
At present, VMC sanitary staff is engaged in door-to-door garbage collection in 25 of 90 wards while 65 wards are being taken care of by private firms. "We have now decided to rope in a firm from Maharashtra and door-to-door collection would commence from December 15," the municipal commissioner said.
