Teach environment from KG to PG, say environmentalists

With a clear message to catch them young, environmentalists have called for introducing the environment as a compulsory subject from Kindergarten (KG) to post-graduation (PG).

Participating in a panel discussion on the significance of wetlands organised by Navi Mumbai Environment Preservation Society (NMEPS), NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar strongly advocated that the nature related issues should be the part of curriculum.

“Unfortunately, EVS as a subject is forgotten after primary school,” he pointed out and called for making it a compulsory subject for all faculties.

The event was held at DPS School -Nerul, as a culmination of inter-school competitions on the occasion of the UN-driven World Wetland Day that was observed on February 2.

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Responding to questions from moderator nature film maker Aishwarya Sridhar, Kumar said it is sad to see that the officials responsible for handling the environment need to be sensitised on the subject. The officials, drawing salaries from the taxpayers money, must be held accountable for environmental damages, he said.

NGO Vanashakti director Stalin D said children must start asking questions on environmental aspects. The schools should invite officials and scientists for interactive sessions. “Elders seem to be running away and hence it is for the youth and the children to start raising questions about environmental degradation.”

Attacking the casual manner in which the government officials treat mangrove and wetland destruction for paving the way for infrastructure projects, Stalin “we should first fix the value of the property being destroyed and then ask for compensation”. “Development does not mean only cement and concrete structures,” he said, calling for taking environmental destruction into serious consideration. Biodiversity, wetlands, and trees are all very important for the survival of cities, he argued.

Former city engineer Mohan Dagaonkar said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) of any project is a must and then the mitigation measures should be strictly implemented. This culture must be imbibed among all officers, he said.

BNHS deputy director Dr Rahul Khot stressed that wetlands should not be destroyed at any cost. Destruction is the easiest and fastest way, restoration is tough, he said.

Rishi Agarwal of Mumbai Sustainability Centre said the NGO which initiated Safai Bank of India to collect wrappers of snacks and chocolates. These waste materials are not recyclable and hence they land at dumping grounds as even rag pickers leave them in the garbage bins. Safai Bank sends them for use as fuel in cement plants where the kilns have a temperature of 1000 degrees. This is one of the ways to involve children in environmental care, he said.

NMPES president V K Gandhi said the organisation has been at the forefront of environment preservation initiatives and has been organizing activities such as a series of inter-school competitions. NMEPS is the force behind the Wetland Protection movement in the city as it took on the authorities to fight a protracted legal battle to try and save the NRI and TS Chanakya wetlands.