Green glory: Residential school wins award for eco-friendly campus

Hubballi: Kittur Rani Chennamma Residential school in Kundgol, managed by the social welfare department, drew attention for maintaining a green environment, operating as a plastic-free zone, and running its campus on solar energy. Spread across a 3-acre campus, the school maintains more than 500 plants of different varieties. It has also adopted rainwater harvesting, dry leaf composting practices and has a kitchen garden.The institution's environmental initiatives earned it the Parisara Mitra School Award, presented by Hubballi-Dharwad Nagarika Parisara Samiti. Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit M Venkatesh Kumar presented the awards to the winning schools on Thursday.The institution has transformed into a plastic-free zone. Around 250 students from grades 6-10 actively participate in planting various saplings such as coconut trees, chikku trees, guava trees, medicinal plants, and decorative plants. Bigger trees provide shade and a sense of calm to the staff, students, and visitors.The institution has adopted rainwater harvesting. It stops rainwater from flowing into the drain and collects it. This has helped recharge a borewell on the premises and ensures that the well continues to provide water. A small space is being used as a kitchen garden, where vegetables are grown.Jyothi Badami, principal, Kittur Rani Chennamma Residential School, Betadur Kundgol, told TOI that the children maintained the green campus. "We bagged the Green School award. After that, we received the Parisara Mitra award. We adopted various programmes that helped us go green," she said.Shankar Kumbi, president of Hubballi-Dharwad Nagarika Parisara Samiti, said that earlier the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board organised this event but stopped after Covid-19. However, the organisation continued this programme to raise environmental awareness among children. "We chose the best 11 schools in the district maintaining green campuses, rainwater harvesting, and solar power, etc. The initiative aims to develop interest in the environment among students at an early age and recognises schools for best practices in environmental conservation," he added.