TIRUCHY: The concept of Pasumai Palli (Green School) programme in schools across the state was launched by the Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi to ensure the younger generation dedicatedly take up the green revolution through which they could build climate-resilient school infrastructure and initiate steps in implementing various green measures.
During the launching year in 2023, as many as 25 schools were selected for the programme and each school was distributed Rs 20 lakh to undertake various green measures like energy efficiency by using solar lighting and use of solar pumps, setting up solar borewells, adapting rain harvesting, composting, creating vegetable garden, medicinal gardens and planting fruit trees, reducing water use, recycling wastewater, creating a plastics-free environment etc.
In 2024, as many as 46 schools were selected under the second phase of the green school programme and departments like horticulture, forest and PWD were involved in moving forward with the programme in the school.
“It seems to be a very slow process as only 71 schools have so far availed the benefits under the programme. During the launching time, it was announced to select 500 schools across the state but the selection process has been going at a snails’ pace,” said a coordinator of the green school programme on condition of anonymity.
He said that the programme was spearheaded by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNCB) and transferred the funds to the school education department to realise the programme.
The forest department would take care of green initiatives and be responsible for tree plantation around the school premises while the horticulture department would support the students to cultivate vegetables and herbal gardens by establishing kitchen gardens and the PWD would take care of the borewells and other infrastructure works.
He appealed to increase the number of beneficiaries of the green school programme rapidly.
“There are more than 7,500 schools with the National Green Corps (NGC) programme and the number of beneficiaries of the green school initiative should have an equal number,” he stressed.