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Green movement in schools
The shape of things to come?
SCHOOL STUDENTS turning vegetable farmers; and, tomatoes, brinjals and ladies fingers grown in school backyards. This is an idea mooted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. If implemented properly, it might be the beginning of a "school green movement" involving thousands of students in Ernakulam district.
Envisaged by the National Green Corps, the idea of setting up vegetable and herbal gardens in schools by students has evoked a keen interest in Kochi. Over 25 of them are keen to set up similar gardens in partnership with the Kochi Corporation.
"The programme will take off on the World Environment Day (June 5)," says the Mayor, C.M. Dinesh Mani. "Students are being encouraged to set up vegetable and herbal gardens in a move to get them involved in environmental protection programmes."
The action guide has laid down steps on what students should do while setting up vegetable gardens. They should select a place that is fully exposed to the sky and sunlight. The area should be protected from hot and cold winds by a fence or a hedge. Students have to mix the topsoil and subsoil. Farmyard manure or compost manure has to be added on top of this layer. The vegetables that could be selected for inclusion in the garden include tomato, brinjal, chilli, cabbage, cauliflower and onion.
The guidelines specify that seeds should be sown thinly in lines five cm apart at a depth of one to 1.5 cm. Nursery beds should be watered with a fine sprinkler after sowing, avoiding flooding at all times. Students can dig drainage canals around the area to drain rainwater quickly. Tomatoes, brinjal and ladies finger should be sown on plots with ridges and furrows. The seeds should be sown in ridges and irrigated in the furrows. Watering should be done at least once every four days.
A calendar has to be drawn on the steps to be implemented by students each month. The activity schedule comprising selection of site, preparation of compost pit and cultivation of soil has to be drawn in the first month of school reopening. The fag end of the month is the time to prepare the ground into ridges and furrows. Sowing of carrot, cabbage, peas, ladies finger, capsicum and brinjal could be done before the rains. As a follow-up, students should remove weeds and till soil on a regular basis.
For setting up medicinal gardens, school authorities have been asked to encourage students to find out more information on medicinal plants, trees, shrubs or herbs. Schools with little space can grow plants like "tulsi" in pots. Students can collect seeds of medicinal plants from neighbourhood or private nurseries. The school authorities can contact the Forest Department nurseries or ayurvedic gardens. Some seeds like "amla" and "neem" need pre-treatment like overnight soaking. The seeds have to be sown in well-turned soil at a depth equal to twice its diameter.
The efforts taken by members of the green club this year could be taken forward by another group next year. A rough outline of activities to be carried out in the following academic year has to be made before the school closes for vacation. The Ministry of Environment and Forests hopes that the students would be able to learn about various aspects of planting through participation in such greening projects.
By Krishnakumar G
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Life
Bangalore
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