An initiative by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)
Two mobile vans will reach out to students of corporation-run
schools in Pune and rural areas of the state to create awareness about environment.
The initiative has been taken by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB),
and it’s designed by the Centre of Environmental Education (CEE) who is also implementing
the programme. In the pilot run, the vans have toured four schools in the city so
far.
Savita Bharti, coordinator of the programme in CEE, said that after field trials
in Pune, the vans will travel to six other districts in the state. The development
concepts are specially for students of standard VI to standard VIII. They can relate
to the models and ideas presented by us which will eventually help them understand
their textbooks better, Bharti said.
The mobile vans display environmental posters, games, activities and models in an
interactive manner. They also have reference publications and computers. This mobile
resource is useful for school goers, collegians, teachers, educators, youth groups,
panchayats and urban local bodies.
Bharti said students are taught about composting with a composting unit inside the
van, wherein students learn how to collect waste and prepare compost. The van also
has an instrument for measuring the noise level in the air. Students can also test
water quality in their school and water bottles with the help of a water monitoring
kit.
The programme is based on the interest level in students and accordingly differs
from one school to another. Each team has three people with an educator, a coordinator
and a driver, she said.
Bharti said that at present the mobile vans are going to schools and training institutes
on request. After a meeting with the district education officer of the PMC, it will
reach out to corporation schools.
The Display in Van
Environmental posters, games, activities, models, in an interactive manner.
Exhibition panels with 24 posters related to different environmental practices and
conservation issues. Three dimension exhibits to do with forest eco-system, wetland
eco-system and rain water harvesting system. Composting unit, wherein the students
learn how to collect waste and prepare compost.
Courtesy: Times of India
