Training teachers on importance of river restoration

The workshop, scheduled for September 7 (Friday), from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm, will be conducted at the auditorium of the Bentick Higher Secondary School in Vepery. The programme is for teacher coordinators of the Department of Environment’s National Green Corps (NGC) and Eco-Clubs (run by the Department of School Education) of schools located along the Cooum River. “Since our project area is from Paruthipattu and right across the city, we have identified 200 teacher coordinators of these two units. This is a first-level sensitisation, where we identify teacher coordinators and train them on the importance of protecting the river and how the community can participate in bring the Cooum back to life. These coordinators then have to conduct weekly environmental education program for 40 students on these areas,” said an official from CRRT.

Since the beginning of the project, several workshops have been conducted for various stakeholders. “We have conducted community education program for all stakeholders, at the micro level, since 2016, including NSS coordinators. We have also worked with urban-local bodies such as Greater Chennai Corporation and Thiruverkadu Municipality and three other village panchayats coming under the project area. During these programs, we have targeted every official – right from the commissioner to the conservancy and field-staff,” added the official, stating that such programs play a critical role in ensuring a team effort for the project’s realisation.