Jamshedpur: To promote a clean and green environment, ADLS Sunshine School, Kadma, has decided to convert organic wastes generated on its campus into compost.
On Monday, the school organised a workshop 'Swachhata Humara Naara Hai, Swachh Paryavaran Bahut Pyara Hai' to train its students, teachers and support staff on waste composting in terracotta containers within the cradle premises.
Gaurav Anand, Jusco chief of environment and sustainability, and volunteers of Relearn Foundation spoke about the importance of composting and how to go about it.
"Nature recycles by breaking down organic materials and reusing it. Composting is the accelerated form of this decomposition process. Compost happens when materials are gathered in a bin or pile, moistened, and aerated. In the end, the finished product is humus, dark brown organic matter which builds up soil and teaches schoolchildren how nature recycles," said a member of the foundation.
"This is the need of the hour. We have got a terracotta composter which will help in composting organic waste generated in the cradle's kitchen, leftover food by students and leaves. I have asked the support staff to collect all the waste and keep it aside for composting," said principal Indrani Singh.
While Anand spoke about clean environment, HPCL officials, along with Relearn Foundation volunteers, conducted a lecture session during which they demonstrated how to make bio-degradable paper bags with taglines on sanitation, hygiene and waste management.
The volunteers also trained class IX students how to keep the school campus clean. They will in turn train students of classes III to VIII. Relearn Foundation volunteer Sudipta Ghosh demonstrated how to use a terracotta composter.
Experts said the composting pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand, a few drops of water will appear.
A plantation drive in collaboration with Jusco was also organised in the school.
"Most diseases spread due to unclean environment. If students are taught about these basic things, they will promote the idea when they grow up," said school secretary M. Nageshwar Rao.
School music teacher Monika Sarkar composed a song on the importance of cleanliness.
The students staged a dance programme and presented skits to highlight the importance of cleanliness.
