Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Jan 31: In a notable achievement, Dr TMA Pai School, Santhekatte, bagged district-level Parisara Mitra award on Thursday, January 31. The school's representatives were presented a trophy and cash prize of Rs 30,000 at a programme held at Atal Bihari Vajpayee auditorium in Manipal.
Twenty other schools were also awarded the Hasiru Parisara Mitra and Haladi Parisara Mitra awards. As many as 197 schools had applied for the awards. The inspection team shortlisted 30 schools after judging on parameters such as water conservation, greenery, cleaning and sanitation, water management, planting herbal saplings, vegetable gardening, generating energy, compost etc.
The awards were presented by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Udupi, in association with Udupi District Administration, Department of Public Education, District Legal Services Authority and Karnataka State Science Council.
C M Joshi, district chief and session court judge and president of District Legal Services Authority in his inaugural address said that awareness on safeguarding environment has increased in the last decade. “The consciousness to protect environment should start from one’s home and should not be restricted to school. There are laws with regard to safeguarding environment and these should be strictly implemented and the guilty should be punished,” he said.
Joshi also spoke on importance of segregating waste at home as well as the importance of disposing plastic in a proper way. “It is challenging. Let us make Udupi an eco-friendly district and Karnataka an eco-friendly state. Making this true is our responsibility,” he stressed.
“The Education Department should put effort to ensure more schools follow the concept. There is a need to sensitize the public. Let this eco-friendly campaign turn into a movement. Unless we create awareness, we cannot become plastic and waste free district,” he said.
Aravinda Hebbar, retired lecturer of Botany, P K Rajagopal, Aruru Manjunath were the judges of this unique competition.
Most of the schools follow eco-friendly concepts. Pervaje and SVH School were appreciated for designing the ‘Akshara Dasoha’ room beautifully. A bird friendly environment was created at Kukkunduru School. A pompon flower garden at Kallianpur School, Kota school with its slurry pump and spinach garden were considered role-models.
Dinakar Babu, president zilla panchayat, Rajshekhar B Puranik, senior environment officer, KSPCB, Mangaluru zone, Y Bhuvanendra Rao, vice president, State Science council, P K Rajagopal, Prabhakar Mithyanthaya, Aruru Manjunath, environmentalist, Ashok Kamath, BEO Kundapur and others were present.
Dr H Lakshmikanth, environment officer welcomed the gathering.