Engal Palli-Milirum Palli programme implemented at govt schools for better infrastructure

CHENNAI: To improve the school infrastructure, the School Education Department has recently implemented a comprehensive and sustainable programme – Engal Palli-Milirum Palli – in all government school campuses of the State.

Through this initiative, the department aims to create a healthy school environment and also to create opportunities for students to inculcate and reinforce values on sanitation and clean environment.

As per the department circular, this programme will include - personal hygiene, increasing the green cover in schools, awareness programmes on environment, knowledge of waste management practices, school vegetable garden, importance of recycling and upcycling, plastic- free campus and encouraging them to move towards alternatives.

Subsequently, the department has also released detailed guidelines such as; formation of committees at district-level with members including collector, district forest officer, projects director, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), corporation or municipality commissioner, chief education officer among others.

This committee will also comprise representatives from two non-profits. Additionally, committees will also be formed at block-level, school-level and sub-school level with concerned members.

After the action plan is prepared by the district committee, the block-level members will monitor the school cleaning activities with the support of the local administration.

Furthermore, the school-level committee will be responsible for; strengthening the youth and eco club, developing a clean school campus plan, making safe drinking water available to students as a part of the clean school campus plan and undertaking waste management practices in the school campus.

And, other responsibilities are; developing a school vegetable garden and ensuring that the vegetables/fruits grown are used for the noon-meal scheme and constituting a team for conducting activities related to awareness regarding conservation of environment, with students, teachers, NGOs and alumni of the school, stated the department circular.

Meanwhile, after assessing the schools on safe drinking water, clean toilets and other infrastructure; the district collector will announce the Engal Palli-Milirum Palli award to a school.

Also, students who contribute well in the programme will be given the 'eco star award' and the teacher who guides the programme will be given the 'best eco guide teacher award'. And, NGOs that make significant contributions will be recognised with the 'environment conservation award', the circular noted.