Nearly 1,000 students in three schools, with the help of an NGO, have decided to make their places of study eco-friendly. The green warriors have committed to plant 1,000 saplings in their respective schools. The saplings will comprise those of 200 fruit-bearing plants, 100 medicinal plants and 700 indigenious plants.
Each sapling will be adopted by a student to be taken care of till he/she completes the course, after which subsequent batches will step in. The three schools are the Moraji Desai Residential School in Tumakuru, Kolar, Chikkaballapur.
The initiative is called Hasiru Yagna.
Gangadhara N. Reddy, who founded a non-governmental organisation Usirigaagi Hasiru (Life for greenery), said that the initiative aims to make students conscious of the environment.
“We want students to understand the value of each plant. As they complete schooling, their saplings would have grown, and they should be proud of what they have nurtured,” he said.
Residential schools were chosen owing to the availability of water. In case of a shortage, the NGO would supply water through tankers, he said.
Gangaraja D.G., principal of the Moraji Desai Residential School in Renumakalahalli in Chikkaballapur district, said, “Besides creating a good environment in the school, it will help children learn about the environment. It will be a great feeling when the students come back after years and see how their saplings have grown into trees.”
Many students are thrilled with the initiative. They are even naming their saplings and have vowed to look after them even during the holidays.
Sagar V. Rathod, a ninth standard student, has adopted a guava sapling. “I will ask the elders back home how I can take care of my plant. I will ensure that I bring manure so that the plant grows well and will take care of it for two years,” he said.
