Caretakers of The Environment International, India Chapter: Read more

What does it take to enable students to see the planet as one interdependent environment?
Caretakers of the Environment (CEI) believes this can best occur through having students meet and work together.

By organizing annual international conferences, making available a periodical for teachers and students by teachers and students, establishing national branches (India Branch) and organizing national and regional workshops, CEI tries to establish a worldwide network of secondary school teachers and students who are actively concerned about environmental issues and who are willing to do something about these issues through their education and their action-taking.

The network intends to be a podium for teachers and students to exchange concerns, ideas, strategies, actions and projects in the field of environmental education.

Are you A Teacher, A Research, A Scholar or Environmentalist: Join Us

Purpose

Society,  at large,  has  to realise  the  gravity of  environmental  degradation and  participate  fully in  the  mitigation of environmental  problems.  This article  discusses  the Indian  initiatives  and the  important  milestones in  the  path of environmental  protection and  pollution abatement.  The commitment of the Indian  Government to the cause  of public awareness of environment conservation is reflected in its outreach and educational programmes involving its  ministries, environmental monitoring agencies, NGOs, academic and research institutions. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has played a leading role in the national priority programmes of environmental monitoring, assessment and pollution control. All the stake holders have succeeded to some extent in creating public interest in environmental issues but much more needs to be done.

Today, more than ever before, there is a great need to create public awareness about conservation of the environment and to ensure the  full  participation of  society  in the  mitigation  of environmental  problems. 

Environment and sustainable development are interlinked and should be regarded as national priorities. 

The Government, environmental monitoring agencies, NGOs, academic and research institutions and the media must work synergistically to combat pollution and thus create a healthy environment. All these stake holders have succeeded to some extent, in creating an awareness about the adverse effects of ecological degradation.

Initiatives:

1. Recovery and Recycling of waste from industry,
2. Waste water Recycling for zero discharge,
3. Air and Water pollution,
4. Environmental biotechnology,
5. Toxic waste and E-Waste management,
6. Impact of Salinity on soil.

Role of voluntary organisations in environment conservation: Mass  movements spearheaded  by  highly motivated  individuals  have aroused  a  passion in  the  common people  for environment conservation and many ‘barefoot’ social workers have been working silently at the grassroots level. 

Initiatives need to be taken or already taken: 

1. Organisation of workshops on water analysis, waste water recycling, rain water harvesting, pesticide detection and analysis and pollution control,
2. Interaction with industry and government agencies to evolve strategies to combat environmental degradation,
3. Use of print and electronic media to popularise eco-friendly practices,
4. Setting up Nature and Eco Clubs which involve the young in nature conservation through the media of street plays, nature trails, exhibitions and planting of trees,

Some of the environmental problems which demand urgent action are:

1. Development  of Green technology based on the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and Technology,
2. Cleaning up of our rivers and water bodies,
3. Disposal of e-waste,
4. Development and greater use of bio-fertilisers and organic manures,
5. Reduction in emission of greenhouse gases(GHG),
6. Development of sensitive analytical methods to detect and estimate pollutants in water, air and soil at micro-gram and nano-gram levels.

Public awareness about environmental problems has been created to some extent by several agencies-government, pollution control boards, academic and research institutions, NGOs  and  media. A synergistic collaboration between all these stakeholders alone can prevent further damage to the fragile environment. 

Public awareness is perhaps the strongest bulk work against exploitation and degradation of the environment. After all environment is of the people, for the people and by the people.