KOCHI: Children are truly the future’s promise. And this is being proven by the students of Chavara Darshan CMI Public School at Koonammavu in Ernakulam district. The institution is on its way to becoming the first carbon-neutral school in the state. The school has already won recognition in the village and panchayat level for its green campus.
According to vice-principal Anila Alexander, the school has been admired for its environment-friendly initiatives. “The students use carbon-neutral farming techniques in their vegetable garden where they cultivate Vlathankara spinach and other veggies,” said the vice-principal.
It is also the only school in the state to have a bamboo forest on its campus. “There are 34 varieties of bamboos, brought in from within and outside the country in the garden,” said Anila. The school has implemented various carbon-neutral initiatives. It has planted trees that are known to absorb greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, facilities to manage biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, use of renewable sources of energy like LED bulbs and solar panels etc.
The school also has introduced carbon-neutral food distribution. “We were able to introduce our students to carbon-neutral food habits,” said the vice-principal. The school has successfully implemented projects such as producing organic fertiliser, adopting environment-friendly agriculture practices, organic pesticides and environmental engineering. Thus, becoming a role model for other institutions in the state.
Carbon-neutral agriculture is adopted by the school in association with Kottuvally grama panchayat and Agriculture office.