Students to play an active part for a cleaner AP

Visakhapatnam: When responsible disposal of trash and litter management is taught at an early age, it becomes a way of life over a period of time.

Inculcating best practices, cultivating efficient waste management techniques and encouraging students to drive in a change for a cleaner, greener and healthier Andhra Pradesh, the school education department flagged off ‘Swachh Andhra’ tailored for schoolchildren studying in government institutions.

In connection with it, the third Saturday of each month has been dedicated for the purpose and students pitch in to take up the clean-up activity on a monthly basis.

So far, officials from various departments were involved in the cleanliness drive. From this year, students are also becoming a part of the campaign, shares a school education department official.

In order to make the campaign meaningful and engaging, themes and activities are clubbed each month to derive desired outcomes. ‘Source resource’, avoiding single use plastic, keeping a check on e-waste, ‘neeru-meeru’ to conserve water, ‘beat the heat’, ending plastic pollution, monsoon hygiene, green AP, clean air, personal and community hygiene, opportunities in environment, among others, form a part of the themes that would be focused on.

What turns out to be engaging is a host of activities that are spread out month-wise to nudge students to be more responsible towards waste management, understand various aspects of it in a “broader perspective.

Learning outcomes will be effective if students are exposed to diverse aspects of the subject. Working in tandem with the AP government’s policy, the department is going a step further to make students gain a grip over public health, environmental impact, community engagement, and economic benefits involved in maintaining cleaner cities through the endeavour.

Besides getting involved in mass clean-up drives, the importance of waste segregation at source, impact of plastic menace, e-waste management, rainwater harvesting and setting health goals will be imparted.

Apparently, by adopting a comprehensive approach, the department intends to derive effective outcomes with the support of multi-departmental collaboration.

In Visakhapatnam district, students from 454 government primary and upper primary schools along with 108 high schools will take part in the clean-up drive.