The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will work with like-minded institutions such as Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan to instil a sense of environmental protection among the younger generation, KSPCB chairperson Vaman Acharya said here on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the 2nd International Environmental Youth Conference, ‘Greening with Goethe’, organised by Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan in association with the University of Bremen, Germany, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
‘Parisara Mitra Shale’
Mr. Acharya, who spoke on the board’s ‘Parisara Mitra Shale’ (environment-friendly school) programme, said over 5,500 schools from across the State were involved in the programme which was similar to Greening with Goethe.
Prahlada, Vice-Chancellor of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune, said pollution studies should be part of the curriculum.
Anne-Renate Schoenhagen, Deputy Director of Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, said Greening with Goethe, the interdisciplinary environment project had been awarded the UNESCO tag of Project of the Decade. “This event is part of the Year of Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities,” she said.
Stating that the project was being implemented with partner schools, Ms. Schoenhagen added that 25 environmentalists and scientists, apart from 400 students of 33 schools from four nations, including India and Germany, were part of the programme.
The conference is on till Monday.
The former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will interact with delegates on the last day. He would also speak on the role of politics in environmental protection, Ms. Schoenhagen added.
