300 Chennai schools get access to green centre

An environmental information dissemination centre (EIDC), a central resource centre for school students, has been opened for students and teachers from schools that are a part of the National Green Crops (NGC).

The centre, which has been set up at a Chennai Corporation Middle School in Choolai, is the first EIDC in the city, and has already been set up in 10 districts during the previous academic year by the department of environment, said the centre in-charge and NGC district co-ordinator, G.Thangaraj.

“It is a centre where students and teachers from NGC schools in the city can learn about environment-related topics such as pollution and energy conservation,” he said. There are around 300 such schools in the city.

Teachers to be trained

The centre has a resource room — with books, multimedia and a television — that can house up to 60 people. It also has a lab where teachers will be trained to use soil, water and air testing kits.

“The trained teachers will in turn teach the students and NGC schools will be given one set each,” he said, adding that they had already trained 50 teachers.

The centre will be open to Chennai Corporation, government, government-aided and private schools that are part of NGC.

Joseph Patrick, an NGC co-ordinator at a government-aided school, said the centre can be a common meeting ground for environment-related activities for school students.

Mr. Thangaraj said the centre would be used to conduct training and seminars and students could be brought there in turns.

Compost pit, medicinal garden, next

They are also planning to display models on rainwater harvesting, and set up a vermi-compost pit and medicinal plant garden on the premises. The centre is stocked with a set of telefilms and books given by the department of environment and ministry of environment and forests.

Some NGOs are also involved in the centre, said Mr. Thangaraj. He said it would be fully functional by the next academic year.

The centre was inaugurated in December 2013, by the director of environment H. Malleshappa in the presence of other officials, said Mr. Thangaraj.