Environment club was formed with the objective of creating environmental awareness and it has sensitized the students about their responsibility towards saving the natural environment and to appreciate the free gifts of nature judiciously. While using any resources, we should raise issues for their conservation, restoration and sustainable use.

The club undertook one of the burning issues during the monsoon season - “Rain Water Harvest” with grade 10 and the students prepared a research-based activity for resolving water shortage. Grade 9 took the issues of water conservation and pollution control and Cleaning Ganga river - “NAMAMI GANGE’.

We took up rain water collection practices, from a historical point of view, in Rajasthan, Gujarat, tanks in south India and other methods from different parts of India. The aim was to make the students think and ponder that if they could solve the problem of water shortage in the past, then why not now. Their methods were eco-friendly and were ancient engineering marvels.

Another much talked issue- “sustainable use of resources” was taken up with grade 6 and 10. A talk was presented to Grade -6. The students were made to understand the multiple utilisations of waste generated during different stages of processing of sugarcane- from sugar to bioplastic and fibre making; vegan leather from cactus and its use for making designer boots, bags, and jackets etc.; reuse of waste plastic by the famous brands- Adidas and Nike for making shoes, Levi Straus for jeans; our own PLASTIC MAN - for road construction. These examples made them understand the value of so-called ‘waste’. Grade -10 prepared research-based projects on the same topic and some students took the initiative of presenting their efforts.

Another regular feature is to give a talk on conservation of wildlife and plants to save them from extinction. The students are then made to select any one endangered plant and animal to describe why they are getting endangered and how to save them. The aim of this activity is to sensitise the student community to understand their responsibility in saving biodiversity.

These small efforts in reiterating the conservation of natural resources and their sustainable use will create environmentally conscious humans. After all, we are the custodians of the earth, not the owner.

As a Chinese proverb says “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”