Switch off lights and ceiling fans, and turn off water taps when not in use. Don’t put in your plate more than what you can eat.
These are among the simple but powerful messages sent out to schoolchildren in Kozhikode district now.
The campaign is part of a project launched by the State government-run Energy Management Centre in July last year to declare Kozhikode district carbon neutral by 2020.
The effort is to reduce emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are found to enhance global warming and climate change.
Due to the floods in August and the subsequent loss of academic days, the campaign could not be held properly.
The centre is planning to step up the campaign effectively this time.
Though it was launched in all districts, the project was covering high school, and upper primary and lower primary sections only in Kozhikode district, claimed N. Sijesh, district coordinator. As many as 1,217 aided and government schools and around 200 unrecognised schools were being covered.
Wasting energy
He pointed out that food wastage was perceived as wasting the energy involved in its production, marketing and sale.
“Power consumption in classrooms has gone up after the introduction of smart classrooms with projectors and other facilities. A prominent school in Kozhikode city was seen using 18 to 20 units of power a month for a classroom and the power bill was around ₹24,000,” he pointed out. Around 2,000 litres of water was being used a month there and waste bins were found overflowing with leftover food every day.
After the campaign was launched, an energy leader was assigned for each class who would try to monitor other students and create awareness about energy conservation.
School-level, sub-district level and educational district-level monitoring committees were set up to coordinate the campaign, Mr. Sijesh said.
He claimed that this helped bring down the power consumption and food and water wastage to a great extent.
“In the above-mentioned school, water consumption could be be brought down by 800 litres. Power bill came down by ₹4,500 and waste of food came down by 6 to 7 kg,” Mr. Sijesh said. Cadets from National Cadet Corps and volunteers from Junior Red Cross would be roped for better coordination, he added.
