From Grey to Green

an endeavour by Loreto Day School Sealdah On the 28th of October,2011, it was time once again for the Better Kolkata Contest and Loreto Day School Sealdah was one of the twenty eight participating schools. Environment was our top priority this time and work had begun much before the competition. A day before the twenty eighth the school exhibition went up highlighting some of the pivotal programs undertaken by the school for environmental conservation –namely five ongoing projects aimed at conservation of energy, water, plant life and environmental cleanliness. The projects were titled Rooftop Gardening, Survey of hygiene and cleanliness in hospitals, Tree Plantation, Reduction in carbon footprint through reduction in household energy consumption and Rainwater Harvesting. The following reports were prepared by students based on the objectives, action plans and outcome of each project.

BIODIVERSITY AND GREENING

1.Roof-top gardening

WASTE MANAGEMENT

REFUSE TO COMPOSTING Composting is one of the oldest forms of recycling. It is based on a scientific principle that nothing ever really, but changes new forms. Organic wastes can be buried in the soil to make compost or humus, the rich blackish brown layer of soil formed by the decomposition of animal and vegetable wastes. Compost is formed through the action of certain microbes that multiply when mixed with organic wastes and receive sufficient air and water. These microbes decompose the organic wastes and the finished product, high in Carbon and Nitrogen content, looks like a black or dark brown layer of soil and is an excellent medium for growing plants. Stage 1:- 12th March 2012

Why Green Gallery for Herbal Gardening ?

Importance of greenery.

Motivation

Instructions given:

Eat the vegetables.

Collect vegetable peelings.

Aim for variety of vegetables.

Stage 2:- 19th March 2012 Peels collected over the we brought in.

Mud brought in.

Empty boxes labeled according to groups.

Each group of 5 members had one box each assigned to them.

A thin layer of mud placed in each box.

Vegetable peels added till the brim of the box.

Covered with a top layer of mud.

Boxes carried to the corner of the school.

Empty tubs were laid out.

Tiles were placed.

Stage 3:- 26th March 2012 Completion of compost formation in tubs.

Each group took their boxes and emptied it into the gallery tubs / pots in the garden patch created for the purpose.

Seeds sprinkled over the compost already spread out well on garden patch.

Reflection over the activity.

Each group wrote a report:

What they did.

What they liked about it.

What they disliked about it.

Tending the Green Gallery regularly.

Observing the progress of the plants growing.

WATER AND SANITATION

2.TOPIC:- SURVEY OF HYGIENE AND CLEANLINESS IN TWO HOSPITALS

RATIONALE:- To create awareness on conditions hygiene at Government and private hospitals. OBJECTIVES:-

To create awareness among the students and people interviewed as to the importance of hygiene and cleanliness in two selected hospitals.

To create an entrance point for future ‘clean-up’ campaigns.

METHODOLOGY:- A survey questionnaire was prepared.

Both hospitals were visited and survey conducted- random samples.

Pupils were briefed.

Data was collated, correlated and studied.

TARGET GROUP:-

Management and Medical personnel.

Patients

Visitors

FINDINGS:- Positive aspects Very clean, floor constantly swabbed, toilets clean.

Nursing care- good.

Medical care- good.

Cater to wide range of economic ability. eg, OPD-Rs.75,Speciality clinic Rs.500, Follow up- Rs.200 .

Environment conducive to recovery.

Stated aim- not to make profit but to serve society.

Comparitively quiet (except OPD)

Patients of all category are welcomed.

Medical team- excellent.

Facilities available

Emergency department excellent.

Adequate supply of medicine. Medical expertise available at low rates..

Negative aspects:- Exorbitant rates- even OPD not affordable by many/ the general masses.

Stock of medicines at the pharmacy insufficient (management stated that it was adequate)

Patients complained that mobile use was disturbing.

Toilets for visitors, though clean were outside the building.

Seating arrangement for visitors insufficient.

Hygiene and cleanliness is poor. No toilets. No sanitation.

Patient pressure very high.

Nursing care is inadequate in comparison to patients admitted.

High level of noise.

Attempts to create better conditions are not sustained.

Security is very low.

RESULTS:- As a result of this survey the students:-

Became aware of different conditions in Government and Private Hospitals as regards hygiene and cleanliness.

Identify possible areas of follow up activities.

Build a platform from which further follow up surveys, awareness building activities and clean

SHORT COMINGS AND PROBLEMS FACED:- This was a ‘random sampling’ survey. It needs further refining. At the next stage more ‘in-depth’ questioning can be carried out. The management denied access to the wards. Thus, only OPD, Specialty Clinic could be visited.

BIODIVERSITY AND GREENING

Green Gallery for growing Herbal Garden

Trees have a great influence on shaping of the ecology of our planet and in determining the present arrangements of life on earth. Notwithstanding the debt we owe to trees, their importance to other forms of life, the forested area of the earth is steadily being depleted. This is leading to the degradation of the environment and the extinction of many species. There is now a real danger that in the not very distant future man will destroy a large proportion of the present population of species on earth, create an uninhabitable environment, and then die out himself. By planting trees, we can make up for the loss we've caused the planet and ourselves through the destruction of forest areas over the centuries. “I think I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” - A. E. Houseman OBJECTIVE:-

Every school child will have trees with resultant improvement in the environment.

Spreading and dissemination of knowledge to other parts of the cities about green gallery for herbal gardening

Sharing of knowledge and experience between the children belonging to the different Houses of the school on how to take care and to protect plants and understand the value and social impact of herbal plants from waste / garbage.

STARTING DATE:- 31.03.2012 (follow-up every 7 days.) SITE:- Loreto Day School, Sealdah. PARTICIPANTS:- Students of Loreto Sealdah NAMES OF SEEDS AND SAPLINGS PLANTED AND OBSERVATION :- Scientific Name Bengali Name English Name Observation after 4 wks Trigonella foenum-graecum Methi Fenugreek 3 to 3.5 inches Sesamum indicum Til Sesame 2.5 to 3 inches Capsicum annuum Mirchi/ Lonka Chilli 1.5 to 2.5 inches Spinacea oleracea Palak Spinach 1.75 inches Raphanus sativus Mooli Radish 1.5 inches Coriandrum sativum Dhania/ Dhone Coriander 0.75 inches

THE VISION:-

Economic value

Ecological value

Educational value

Waste management

SUPERVISION AND FOLLOW-UP:- BY LORETO STUDENTS :-

Regular watering.

Pest control (using bio-pesticides like neem leaves, cow-dung, etc)

Replanting of trees from denser vegetation to barer tracts.

Application of organic fertilizers and preparation of compost.

Follow up :- Follow up action carried by House Captains, teachers and Eco Club members. FUTURE PLANS:-

Sustainable development for eco-solutions an ongoing program.

Plans for expansion- reaching out to other areas of the school.

PROBLEMS FACED:- Discouragement by local people, i.e. neighbours and passers by.

Negative attitude of some parents and teachers.

Encroachment into project area by school management for various purposes like festivals, fairs, etc.

Unfavorable terrain.

SUGGESTIONS:- Awareness campaigns will change the mindset of others.

Students’ Community (6 Houses) involved in the tree plantation program.

Schools to become guardians and protectors of the trees- Adopt a tree campaign.

ENERGY CONSERVATION

RATIONALE: To relate the importance of energy conservation to the students' lives and make it a more meaningful experience for them.

OBJECTIVES: a. To create awareness about wastage of energy in our school. b. To make students active participants in reducing carbon footprints in the school. c. To create awareness through EVS and Value Education classes of conservation of energy and reduction of consumption. d. To build habits that will reduce waste of energy and in turn reduce carbon footprint. BASELINE DATA: The methodology was a questionnaire - based survey on consumption of electricity in households. The questionnaires were distributed among 700 students of classes V - XII of Loreto Day School Sealdah . When starting on the survey students found that it was necessary to take April 2011 as the baseline to collect the data. Thus data of monthly consumption of electricity in households from April 2011 to March 2012 was collected, collated and correlated. AWARENESS BUILDING: Tangible steps were taken towards awareness building at two levels. * The students created awareness through their questionnaires, interviewing classmates, teachers and other staff members in our school and identified ways of saving energy in our school. * Three periods a week in the months of April - May were devoted to building general awareness about wastage of non - renewable energy sources among students of the senior school (V - XII) while weekly EVS classes were used to inform the students about alternative and renewable energy sources. ACTUAL ACTION TAKEN: Students identified six areas of action to save energy in a simple and cost - effective way and made efforts to implement them at home. These were as follows: * Turn off lights, fans and other electrical equipments when nobody is using them. * Avoid use of the iron between 6:00pm and 9:00pm. * Keep the refrigerator switched off between 6:00pm and 9:00pm. * Do not use immersion heater between 6:00pm and 9:00pm. * Share power – children can study in the same room. LIMITATIONS:

This was a random sample survey.

Economic status of the students differed widely – some homes had barely one light and fan while some others had many electrical appliances of high wattage.

EVALUATION: The questionnaires were collected after their interview. Correlation and collation of data was done by drawing graphs (line- graph and histogram); data for different months was analyzed and compared and a final conclusion was drawn.Our findings showed the following: * Awareness of power/ energy saving strategies was created and carried out. * Positive habits were developed to save energy and prevent wastage.

* There was a gradual but definite decline in energy consumption in households after the month of April resulting in reduction of carbon footprint.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Questionnaire For Baseline data collection from students of Loreto Day School, Sealdah on Water Managemental and its conservation. 1. How much water does your school use? Quantity of water being used = Total strength a) x Amount of water consumed for each case (b)

a) Total strength is ____________+ ___________ + _________________ ______________ Students Teachers Administrative Staff Other Staff = Total Strength b) Amount of water consumed :-

Average consumption of water per day Sl. No.

Uses Day Scholar School Rainbow Residential School

1. Drinking 03 Litres 08 Litres 2. Washing 05 Litres 40 Litres 3. Flushing 12 Litres 30 Litres 4. Cleaning 0.5 Litres 1.5 Litres 5. Gardening 2.5 Litres 2.5 Litres 6. Other Uses 0.5 Litres 15 Litres Total 28 Litres 97 Litres

Fill in quantities of water consumed per day _________________ + _________________ + _______________ + _______________ Drinking Washing Flushing Cleaning _________________ + _________________ = ____________________________ Gardening Other Uses Total water consumption per day

2. Where does the water you use come from ? Source – 1 i) pipe line ( Municipal Corporation / PWD’s which draw water from ground water bodies )

Source – 2

i) Well ( Ground water aquifers) ii) Bore well ( Ground water aquifers )

Percentage of water drawn = Quantity of water drawn from particular source _________________________________________ x 100

Total quantity of water used for a specific purpose

Total quantity of water used for each specific purpose Quantity consumed in litres per day

Sl.No. Uses Source – 1 Source – 2 1. Drinking 2. Washing 3. Flushing 4. Cleaning 5. Gardening 6. Other uses 7. Total

Percentage of water drawn

Sl.No. Uses Source – 1 Source – 2 1. Drinking 2. Washing 3. Flushing 4. Cleaning 5. Gardening 6. Other uses 7. Total

WATER About 1400 regular school children, 250 rainbow children (street and working children), 50 night shelter children, 500 teacher trainees from across Kolkatta city, and other school and domestic staff, totalling to over 2000 individuals either study or function out of the Loreto Day School, Seldah, Kolkatta. This great number meant an immense amount of water is required daily for meeting various requirements including drinking water, flushing of toilets, washing of vessels and clothes, cleaning of common areas, etc. Principal of the school, Sister S.M. Cyril, came up with the idea of constructing a rainwater harvesting structure, which would not only reduce the demand of water on the Kolkatta Municipal Corporation (KMC), but would also save the expenditure incurred by the school. This initiative of the school would also go a long way considering the existing grim water scenario is Kolkatta. The water supply system of Kolkatta is about 300 years old. The clogged and congested pipes result in interrupted supply of water. On the other hand rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have resulted in the loss of tree cover and wetlands, further adding stress to the availability of water. The school which was initially solely dependant on the KMC for its water requirement, had to buy water tankers at the cost of Rs. 800/- per tanker whenever there was need for more water and more so in the summer months. And the school on an average spent Rs. 40,000/- annually for procuring water from these tankers. This led to the idea of constructing a rainwater harvesting structure and the same was constructed beside the assembly hall of the school in 2005 at a total cost of Rs. 1,07, 450/-. The school also received a token amount of Rs. 4000/- from the Department of Environment, West Bengal for the initiatives that the club members have undertaken and the same was also utilised for the construction of the rainwater harvesting structure. For the rainwater harvesting structure that the school put in place two underground reservoirs of 11040 and …. L capacity were constructed. Five overhead tanks were also put in place in various locations to which water is pumped up from the underground reservoirs and then utilised for various activities. The water stored in the reservoir and tanks is treated twice a month using lalogen tablet and bleaching powder. The students of the school have helped promote the message of rainwater harvesting. Every Saturday regular students of the school move out into rural areas around Kolkata and interact with government school children in these villages. During these interaction students share their experience of the importance and functioning of the rainwater harvesting system. The Loreto Seldah Girls School too learnt about rainwater harvesting from the Loreto Day School and has now implemented the same in 12 village primary schools. Additionally the Loreto Day School being a cluster school, there are ample opportunities for promoting the message of conserving water to other schools.

BIODIVERSITY

Loreto Sealdah joined hands with the Society for Heritage and Ecological Research and Turtle Limited in July, for a campaign on Save the Turtle. The theme focus was the most endangered species, the Olive Ridley. They emphasized that there is no distinctive line between philanthropy and caring for the environment, which means protecting all species of life, and indeed efforts must be made to appeal to people who have the capability to make change happen. A DVD on “Save the Turtles” was shown to Classes V to VIII which highlighted the nesting patterns and severe threat to the turtles by their most feared predators- Humans… This was followed by a 3 day painting programme on “Draw your turtle, save the world”. About 15 students in groups of 3 worked on canvas scrolls

School within a school Students of the school are busy teaching each other. This unique initiative that the Loreto Day School began in 1985 has channelised energies of their regular students to teach other under privileged children. Street children fondly called the Rainbow children are welcome to school and taught on a one-to-one basis by regular children over 10 years of age.

which was monitored, supervised and photographed by the organizers.