Continuing their effort to make children more sensitive to environmental issues and induce responsible behaviour among them, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has established over 2,200 eco-clubs in various Government schools of the State during last year.
“HSPCB has been able to establish nearly 5,000 eco-clubs in the schools of the State till now. Eco-clubs in 2,850 schools of the State to create awareness regarding environment issues amongst the school children had been set up till last fiscal year 2008-09,” a senior official in HSPCB told The Pioneer.
The senior official said: “The State Government had set the target to establish nearly 5,000 eco-clubs in the schools during this fiscal year and the Board has already completed the target figure.”
Ministry of Environment and Forests provides financial assistance to set up eco-clubs in the schools of the State. With the sole aim of making students aware about green and clean environment, the scheme was initiated in 1998 by the Government of India.
Under the scheme, an amount of Rs one lakh had been spent during the fiscal year 2008-09 for preparation of literature and posters to the school children and in the current financial year 2009-10, an amount of Rs 1.50 lakh had been spent under the scheme. Under the scheme, in each school, a science teacher is made incharge of school Eco Club for looking after various activities. The eco-clubs in the schools organise various environment concerning activities to make students aware about the environs.
Explicating details of the activities carried out in eco-clubs, the official said: “Plantation drive including distribution of free saplings, anti-fire crackers drive, water conservation and energy conservation drive, campaign regarding say no to plastic bags are some of the key events of the eco-clubs.”
“The students are also apprized about the climate change, global warming and other issues during morning assembly. Information regarding significant environs issues are also disseminated among the community through awareness rallies, State level eco-club camps, publication of pamphlets or human chain of the school children,” he said.
“Besides conducting rallies and campaigns, eco-clubs also follow action oriented programmes like paper recycling, Vermicomposting and Rain water harvesting,” he added.
Through Eco-clubs, students also learn about the disposal of household waste (garbage), disposal of hospital wastes, ill-effects of air pollution and water pollution, advantages of afforestation and plantation, importance of maintenance of public parks and gardens for protection and improvement of the environment
Emphasizing on the need to involve more and more students of the schools under the scheme, the official said: “The target group i.e. the students under the scheme is certainly making a difference in the long-run problem of deteriorating environment as they are making efforts in saving the environment by implementing the methods in day to day activities, that they learn in eco-clubs.
