Students show the way to sustainable living

From creating a waste management system from scratch to starting a newsletter ‘Hornbills’to raise awareness on hornbills and sustainability, the young participants of the Wipro Earthian programme showcased their commitment towards sustainability at the annual awards ceremony on Saturday.

The 16th edition of the Wipro Earthian programme received over a thousand submissions from across India, of which 10 schools and 10 colleges were selected as winners. The winning institutes were awarded certificates and cash prizes by Wipro Ltd. Chairman Azim Premji and Wipro Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) Anurag Behar.

This year’s event was dedicated to the late Anupam Mishra, Gandhian and ardent environmentalist, who passed away in December 2016. Mr. Behar said that Anupam Mishra, whom he called the “quiet warrior”, spent 40 years behind the scenes doing his bit to save the environment.

As part of the event, students created exhibits on sustainability and also submitted essays on the topic. The team from Sree Gurukul, Tumakuru, won accolades from the jury for their project on organic manure and smart bins. As this was their first participation in the event, they were thrilled with their win. “This venture enabled us to explore the environment in ways that will help us sustain it rather than endangering the surroundings,” said one of the students.Ankita Majumdar from Kamraj English Medium school, Port Blair said, “During the competition, we learnt a lot about sustainability. During the project we were engaged with nature, while otherwise we would have ignored the beauty of our surroundings.” The team organised a nature walk to identify insect and plant species. Her team members chipped in, “We made our own compost pit, too.”

At the ceremony Mr. Premji noted that it was gratifying to see people adapting to change. “These projects and ideas will motivate others towards achieving a sustainable environment,” he said.

This year saw the maximum participation from students since its debut in 2011. According to Mr. Behar, “the purpose of the Wipro Earthian is to collaborate and work along with schools and colleges so that sustainability becomes integral to education. We are inspired by the knowledge and enthusiasm shown by students from disadvantaged rural areas on issues of sustainability.”