Field Visits of School Students to see sustainable waste management practices with Mohali MC
Babushahi Bureau
Mohali, September 7, 2023:
In order to create awareness and sense of responsibility among the students towards waste management in the district, the Sustainability Leaders Program, an initiative taken by the Deputy Commissioner Mrs Aashika Jain working on the concept put forth by a young student Suhani Sharma gathered momentum.
About fifty-four students of Govt senior secondary school, phase 11, Mohali alongwith Onkar Singh, the school nodal officer visited the various sites observing and participating in Municipal Corporation Mohali’s efforts on waste management. The students visited the Bhagat Singh Nature park phase 8, to see the composting of the horticultural waste. A compost sale point & RRR centre have been opened in the park by MC Mohali. Students visited the Resource Management Center in Phase 3A to see the waste shredding, compost pits of shredded wet kitchen waste, bailing machines, waste tender coconut shell shredding and then the cow pound to see the cow dung log-making in progress. These cow dung logs, high in calorific value, are being used in the crematorium reducing the need for tree-wood, providing an alternate source of renewable energy and preserving our ecosystem. The shredded coconut shells are also being added to these cow dung logs serving dual purpose of fuel as well as waste management.
Miss Suhani Sharma, Class XI student of Delhi Public School Chandigarh who has conceptualised this Sustainability Leaders Program,had earlier conducted live sessions for about 1150 students of Mohali from 21 different city schools registered for the program. Now the Municipal Corporation is conducting the field visits of these students in an effort to sensitise them for source segregation of waste and follow the five Rs of Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Navjot Kaur, Municipal Commissioner Corporation commended the efforts of Suhani and said, “We have planned field visits of all the 1150 students in the coming days in coordination with the school nodal officers. Thereafter students will be assigned activities based on their field experiences. The program is designed to sensitize students as change-makers in the Swachh Bharat Mission. The Sustainability Leaders Program is a 4-8 weeks structured internship program launched by Deputy Commissioner Mohali, a few days back, for the grade 8th-12th students that teaches them about sustainable waste management. Students will participate in live sessions and webinars, field visits, and create innovative projects.College-going students as Mentors are associated with this program to handhold the school students.”The program will help students develop a deeper connection to waste management and become responsible citizens.