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Exemplary steps

  • 14/09/2001

What motivated you to launch the ongoing greening of the campus?
Basically this is one of the premier institutions in the country and we would like to set an example for other institutions. Our ultimate aim is to create a self-sustainable pollution free environment. Moreover, the number of people who go for morning walk within the campus has increased. Also we want to create this campus as a CO2 sink to overcome the city pollution.

How does it benefit the students?
The students who join here are the cream of intelligence and it is our duty to create a conducive environment for them to concentrate in their studies.

Can you outline the steps taken to achieve these goals?
We have restricted the vehicular movement within the campus and have controlled the vehicular pollution. The roads within the campus have been relaid in order to increase the vegetation cover to a greater extent. By treating the waste water and stopping it from flowing to the nearby Adayar river, wastage of water is controlled and utilised for gardening. The treated sewage is used for organic farming. I have star ted organic farming in my kitchen garden to see how best it can be implemented. The green belt area within the campus has been increased.

What about the students' reaction to these measures?
See, you cannot force the student community but you can convince them. Once they get convinced it becomes a student movement. Hence as such we don't punish violators. That's why it took more than a year for us to implement these measures.

How is the system being monitored?
We are yet to establish any monitoring system. Frequent meetings were convened involving representatives from student community and the teaching staff and the message is disseminated.

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