The Chavara Darshan CMI Public School in Koonammavu, near Kochi, has laid the foundation for going carbon-neutral with a string of measures that include creating clusters of bamboo forests, encouraging its students to adopt natural farming methods, growing vegetables, garden plants, and trees that absorb carbon.The school will also tap renewal sources of energy and shift totally to LED systems as part of the efforts, said Principal Tomy Kochilanjikkal on Sunday. The school, in Kottuvally panchayat, has encouraged its students to take up natural farming and recycle used materials to create a cleaner and safer environment.The school will also measure its energy use, examine the nature of the soil on the campus and audit the energy use by its vehiclesto achieve the goal of total carbon neutrality.
34 types of bamboo
The greening efforts on the campus have been taken by the Nature Club members of the school with the help of the Department of Agriculture, which has extended technical support to the programme. While natural farming activities have been going on at the school over the last two years, the big step towards greening the campus began with the establishment of a hundred clusters of 34 types of bamboo found all over India, said sources in the department.The school has an aquaculture pond, a poultry farm, and a livestock farm. The campus also has ornamental plants and trees that facilitate carbon absorption.
Sale at Eco Shop
The vegetables produced on the school campus are being sold through its Eco Shop. The proceeds from the sales are used to produce environment-friendly products that can replace plastic, Fr. Kochilanjikkal said. The students havethe strong support of the teachers and employees of the school. “One of the biggest achievements is that students and their parents are now drawn to homestead farming. Many cultivate at least a portion of the vegetables and fruits they require on their terraces,” the Principal said. Different types of leafy vegetables, including the red amaranth, grown on a 30-cent plot in the school, were sold through the Eco Shop recently.
