NATIONAL GREEN CORPS SIKKIM An Activity Report on Student’s Environment Movement July 2012 Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department Ministry of Environment & Forests Government of Sikkim Government of India NATIONAL GREEN CORPS (NGC) SIKKIM STATE An Activity Report on Student’s Environment Movement July 2012 Prepared and Submitted by ENVIS CENTER SIKKIM On Status of Environment & Related Issues Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department Government of Sikkim Table of Contents Foreword 1 Preface 2 Unity in Diversity: Participation at National Events Sikkim NGC at the First National Meet at Hyderabad 4 Paryavaran Mitra National Event at Goa 6 Visit to Sikkim Express – Biodiversity Special Train at Siliguri 6 State Government’s Environmental Initiative at Schools Mission 2015: 100 percent Environment Conscious Citizen in Sikkim by 2015 8 Green Schools Programme – Sikkim State 9 Green Teacher’s Training 10 Environment Kits to School Eco‐Clubs 11 State Green Schools Awards – Chief Minister’s Green School Rolling Trophy 12 Celebrating Environment Calendar Days with Meaningful Commitments Environment Calendar for Sikkim Schools 19 World Forestry Day 20 Earth Day 22 International Biodiversity Day 26 Saving Lake Gyam Tsona – Sikkim’s Ocean in the Sky 28 World Environment Day 30 Paryavaran Mitra Oath 32 State Green Mission and 36 Ten Minutes to Earth – Creating Carbon Sink 37 Ozone Day 38 World Wildlife Week 39 Contd… Eco‐Club Activities –Environment Management System under the Green Schools Programme 41 Auditing Water Consumption 42 Rain Water Harvesting 43 Reusing Waste Water 44 Sensitization on Ground Water Recharge 45 Hugging the Oldest Tree 46 Making of a Botanical Garden 47 Preparation of Biodiversity Register 49 Wall Magazines & Green Boards 50 Learning through Nature 51 Energy Conservation 52 Cleanliness drive 53 Solid Waste Management 54 Vermin Composting 56 Learning to Reuse Paper and Plastic Waste 58 Paryavaran Mitra Programme – A report of Yuksom Sr. Secondary School 60 National Awards to Sikkim Schools 64 Annexure State Environment Agency – Sikkim Gazette Notification 70 ikkim, a small state covering just 0.2% of the geographical area of the country has tremendous biological diversity and Shas been identified as one of the 34 global biodiveristy hot- spots. The undue credit for such varied biodiversity goes to its unique geographical location and the pecular characteristics of this Himalayan region. However, with the advent of global pressure on this tiny Himalayan environment, diminishing of natural resources and threat to biodiversity loss is imposed. It therefore becomes our noble responsilibility for raising awareness at a mass level and to take measure to protect our rich biodiversity. To stimulate such awareness, National Green Corps (NGC) has been the most effective programme at school level. Conceptualized by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India in 2001, this programme has reached to almost all schools of Sikkim as an action based environment education programme. NGC programme in Sikkim state is also supported by the State Government with the implementation of State Green Schools Programme in all 182 Sr. Secondary and Secondary level and Paryavaran Mitra programme in all 197 Junior High Shcools for enhancing the schools environment managment system. The programme is now proposed to extend to upto 766 school eco-clubs throughout the state from 2012-13. The programme is of immense importance in Sikkim and has been financially supported from the State’s own environment fund during the discontinuity from the ministry. Funds have been utilized to provide green teacher’s training and environment kits to all school eco-clubs. FOREWORD We are optimistic about the future of National Green Corps Programme being implemented in Sikkim and look forward for extended support from the Ministry. State Environment Agency Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department Government of Sikkim National Green Corps – Sikkim Page | 1 n this era of drastic climate change, awareness among the people has become an important agenda to help people understand the Ianthropogenic effects on environment. Likewise, National Green Corps (NGC) is such programme sponsored by the Ministry of Environment of Forests, Government of India to set up eco-clubs in selected schools to take up environment related activities. The main objective of the programme is to spread environment awareness among the school children with the focus on active involvement of the students in action oriented drives. The programme also visualizes the role of children as agents of change for dissemination of environmental information among the public at large. NGC - Sikkim is being coordinated by the State Environment Agency, an autonomous body, constituted by the Forests, Environment & Wildlife Management Department, Government of Sikkim. National Green Corps programme – Sikkim at a glance: 2002: NGC programme setup with a financial aid of Rs.1000/- per eco-club. 2006: NGC programme strengthened with the establishment of 354 eco-clubs with a financial grant of Rs. 2500/- per eco-club. 2009: Green Schools Programme (GSP) launched. Sikkim is the first state in the country to launch GSP at the state-level. 2010: 123 Green Teachers appointed and trained. GSP launched in all PREFACE 182 Sr. Sec. and Sec level schools. 2011: 182 Green teachers provided two days training. Environment kits like biodiversity register, environment activity register, environment calendar, NGC caps and badges, permanent banners to celebrate environment calendar days in schools provided. State Green School Awards instituted with the most prestigious Chief Minister’s Green School Rolling Trophy with the cash prizes upto Rs. 5 lakhs to top five green schools of the state. 2012: NGC extended to Junior High Schools (JHS). Environment kits like waste segregation bins, white boards, biodiversity register and so on provided to all 197 JHS. This report attempts to reflect the efforts of the students and teachers in bringing about positive change in the schools environment in terms of practices followed to improve the quality, usage and sustainability of Land, Air, Water, Waste and Energy resources in their ultimate strive to become green schools of the nation and also environmentally responsible citizen in the near future. National Green Corps – Sikkim Page | 2 Unity in Diversity Participation at the National Events Participation at the National Events Sikkim NGC at the 1 st National Meet at Hyderabad August 26 -29, 2010 NGC National Conference of Children and Youth he activities of National Green parliament, nature trail, cultural and literary Corps programme being presentation on special state relevant T implemented by school eco - environmental features. The participating clubs for stimulation of environment eco -club students from Sikkim state awareness was appreciated as the Greenest presented t heir environmental endeavor of Greens in the first ever National and their initiatives in the Green School Conference of Children and Youth held at activities. The initiatives of the state Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh from Aug 25 - government towards environment 30, 2010 where 21 States had participated. protection and conservation through various programmes like State Green We are the solution Mi ssion, Ten M inutes to Earth, Smritivan, and State Green School Programme were also highlighted during the event. Sikkim state was much appreciated for its environment endeavor and its sustainable development. The participants from Sikkim were Miss Yangchen Bhutia (Cl X), Miss Chetna Chettri (C l X) and Ms. Purnima Sharma (Teacher) Students preparing the N ation’s longest hand from Deorali Girls Sr. Sec. School, Master print eco -banner Norbu Lepcha (Cl VII) from Mangan Sr. Sec. School, Master Rajendra Pradhan (Cl IX), The National Green Corps Sikkim Miss Kazal Bhagat (Cl IX) and Mr. represented the event with a team of 8 Ghanashyam Pradhan (Teacher) from Reshi members; (5 students, 2 teachers and 1 Govt. Sec. School , and Mr. Rajen Pradhan, officer from the Forest, Environment & Sr. Programme Officer from Forest, Wildlife Management Department). A week Environment & Wildlife Management long event featured eco -exhibition, eco - Department. project works, eco -painting, eco -drama, eco-puppetry, eco -filming, mock eco - National Green Corps – Sikkim Page | 4 The event was an excellent platform to interact, share and visualize the role of school children as agents of change and for dissemination of enviro nmental information among the public at large. The national meet provided an image of unity in diversity where students, teachers and officers from various states, MoEF, NCERT were brought under one roof to rejuvenate and inculcate Sharing the care for environment the global vision to pro tect the only mother earth. Nodal officers and teachers Students from all corners of the nation in their interac tive workshop cum training traditional apparel. Mock Eco -Parliament Spreading the message to people NGC Sikkim delegation in traditional attire Souvenir of Sikkim NGC to Andhra Pradesh NGC during the inaugural session National Green Corps – Sikkim Page | 5 1st Paryavaran Mitra National Event at Goa December 11-15, 2011 Paryavaran Mitra National Event at Goa ikkim NGC participated in the five days management with the title “Do not waste National Paryavaran Mitra event held at Waste” which was appreciated by visitors, SGoa from December 11 to 15, 2011. A four scientists, students