Jamshedpur, July 8: Educational institutions here have jumped aboard Laloo Express with a vengeance, as the rush to replace soft drinks and plastic cups with their desi counterparts seems to suggest.
While Kerala Samajam Model School (KSMS) and DBMS English School have decided to replace aerated drinks with their desi counterparts in the respective canteens, Jamshedpur Workers’ College and Jamshedpur Women’s College are likely to ban the use of plastic cups, replacing them with kulhars.
Matha, lassi, curds and panak (a drink made of water, jaggery and ginger juice) are some of the desi drinks, which students of KSMS would have to savour if the authorities stick to their decision.
School chairman A.P.R. Nair told The Telegraph that the school management has decided to ban soft drinks in the canteen, replacing them with desi ones.
Similarly, DBMS English School has banned aerated drinks in its canteen as well. The healthy and humble nimbu pani, along with a plethora of other desi drinks, are set to replace soft drinks.
Following in the footsteps of the railways, Jamshedpur Workers’ College and Jamshedpur Women’s College are on their way to replacing plastic cups with kulhars.
“The switch from plastic cups to earthen pots will help generate income for hundreds of families, which make and sell kulhars. We want to introduce earthen pots in the canteen because of this reason,” said S.S. Razi, principal of Jamshedpur Workers’ College. According to him, they have got in touch with two local potters to supply kulhars to the college canteen.
Besides, the authorities also want to serve drinks in kulharsduring college events.
Principal of Jamshedpur Women’s College Shukla Mohanty, who shared similar opinions, said: “We should start doing our bit for the environment and the earthen pots would help us in this endeavour.”
The new trend doesn’t end there. Authorities of the premier Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) are also contemplating the introduction of kulhars.
Administrative officer of XLRI S.S. Akhtar said though they were yet to take a final decision in this regard, kulhars were certainly an environment-friendly option.
