NNWN/09-12-2019

Nearly 1.5 lakh eco clubs in schools and colleges across the country have been set up under the government's ambitious National Green corps programme. Nearly 35 lakh students are actively involved in environmental protection and conservation. Union Minister of state for environment, forest and climate change Babul Supriyo stated this in written reply in Rajya Sabha on Monday. 

He said that the ministry coordinates ‘Environment Education, Awareness and Training’scheme with an objective to promote environmental awareness among all sections of the society and to mobilize people’s participation for conservation of environment. Through the National Green Corps programme, which is one of the components of this scheme, about one lakh fifty thousand Ecoclubs have been established in schools/colleges across the country and nearly 35 lakh students are actively involved in the programmes related to environment protection and conservation. The ‘Green Good Deeds’ initiative is about simple, practical steps that students/teachers/citizens can perform in their day-to-day life towards protection of environment. 

Taking forward the Green Good Deeds initiative, among other activities of the Ecoclubs, the Ecoclubs have been a centre stage for various environment protection and conservation activities like conducting cleanliness drives as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, plantation drives, awareness on waste minimisation, waste segregation, recycling and reuse etc. Various environment awareness programmes are being undertaken by the students like minimizing the use of single-use plastic, celebrating Green Diwali, making of Eco-friendly idols of Ganesh and seed balls, adopting water bodies, beach cleaning, etc.