Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) with its initiative to approach schools, colleges and industrial units of the State has scored a first among the pollution control boards in the country to celebrate ‘environment month’. The JSPCB has written to all the institutions to prepare action plans for the month long celebrations starting in July.
The step is aimed to incorporate all the stakeholders of the society and to ask them for their bit towards environmental protection and conservation. “Just planting trees is going to solve the problem of environmental deterioration. We also have to look around and see whether our daily lifestyle is contributing to protect the environment or otherwise. As a citizen we also have certain duties towards environmental protection which can contribute to the larger goal,” said AK Mishra, Chairman of JSPCB.
The Board in its part is issuing letters to all the prominent schools of Ranchi and other major cities besides consulting small and medium industrial units. The communiqué would suggest them to finalise some action plan for the month which they would ensure within their premises and vicinity. They would finally revert to the Board with the actions they took in July to clean and protect the environment.
“Until now too much of the emphasis has been on just planting tree saplings which often get forgotten and die in the want of proper care. This apart, school administration also needs to educate their children about what causes littering around, judicious use of polythene and reducing wastage of natural resources. Everyone has to contribute in the cause,” added Mishra.
The intervention took shape when Gurunanak School approached a senior Board official demanding saplings to be planted by their children in the premises. The JSPCB expressed its reservation over plant distribution and instead suggested it with the awareness generation step which can prove as a preventive measure in the field of environmental protection.
“It is a noble idea from the part of the anti-pollution body for dedicating the entire month for the environment. We are mulling to run a series of in-house activities, conduct seminars and also organise programmes that can teach children about water and power conservation, growing menace of polythene and adopting a healthy lifestyle which is equally important as planting trees,” said an official of Gurunanak School.
The Board has also chosen the month due to its rainy nature which can prove helpful in rain water conservation. “Monsoon remains on its pick in July. It was thought that if the Board intervenes at this time then maximum effect can be seen at industrial units,” said the Chairman. The JSPCB issues NOCs to more than 5,300 of industrial units running in the State and they would be tasked for the month long celebration with some action plans.
