BEST PRACTICES-1
Title: Maintenance of Green and Eco-Friendly College Campus:
Objective: The College Eco Club constituted in 2019 targets to reduce all kinds of pollution in and around the campus and bring about environmental awareness and sensitize the teachers and students on the use of sustainable energy, recycling and green landscaping of the college campus. The cell strives to maintain the serene natural environment of the college campus against the rapid change brought forth by urbanization.
The Context: Tamenglong College is about 3 kms from the main town and has an area of 40 acres. Confirming the fact that, without taking substantial measures against climate change, urbanization and growth of human population, the college focuses on maintaining green campus, use of sustainable energy, rain water harvesting, ban on plastics in the campus, planting of trees, regular cleaning of weeds to protect the trees and organizing awareness programmess for students and staff and alumni on the importance of protecting the environment.
The practice: The Eco Club of the college promotes all activities to help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources. The college has a waste disposal system and is smoke free. The college endeavours to make its campus plastic free. The college is switching on towards paperless office by adopting e-office. The college has rain water storage facilities and stores water in the tank. The rain harvested water is also used to water the plants in the campus and the other purposes in the college. The college has solar panels installed at the rooftop which supplies power to all the main offices of the college thereby cutting electricity bills and also giving uninterrupted power supply in times of no electricity in the town.
The campus has different plant species including medicinal plants. The Eco Club ensures protection of such plants by sensitizing the staff and students on every Environment Day. Ageratina adenophora plant in the campus is used as first aid wound healer, its root juice is used for the treatment of fever and as natural fertilizer. Also, every Environment Day, the college organizes tree plantation drive along with various CSOs and District Administration.
Evidence of Success: The college has yielded good results in maintaining green campus. The waste disposable system of the college with dustbins keeps the college campus clean. The college solar energy plays important role as renewable energy source so also saving electricity bill and giving convenience from frequent interrupted power supply. The rainwater facilities serve its purpose as it supplies water to all offices.
Problems encountered and Resources Required: The college is a forerunner in the compaign for conservation of the environment. This eco-friendly campaign is necessary in every institute so as to protect the environment for future generation. The main problems encountered in this campaign are; lack of separate fund for this purpose, lack of infrastructure and difficulty in maintenance of infrastructures for such practices. Also, it needs commitment and active participation from staff, students, stakeholders and alumni.