Kerala: Green protocol gets thumbs up

Thiruvananthapuram: Rituparna turned seven days before the Pravesanolsavam. School headmistress Celine M. says, “We hear it was the little girl’s decision not to celebrate her birthday and rather spend the money on buying gifts for children. Her grandmother Sushma Mohan, who is the president of Mothers’ PTA, had informed us that they would distribute 1,000 steel glasses for students here. Another well-wisher, Jayakumar M.D., distributed steel plates.”

The strength of the LP school is close to 1,000 this year. Pravesanolsavam functions in various city schools were carried out avoiding disposables. But it was not about one day. The DPI had issued 14-point instructions to all schools in the estate to ensure Green Protocol is implemented throughout the academic year. Suchitwa Mission executive director K. Vasuki says that now the citizens are working on “an automated mode” in support of Green Protocol. She witnessed it herself when she went to Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pattom, as a parent.

“The teachers were instructing parents not to send meals and lunch in plastic tiffins and water bottles because it is not good for children. That much awareness has come,” she says. She notes that the DPI has a green perspective, and the Mission will continue supporting in its advisory role. “Most of the Mission’s activities this year will be centred on schools. We are planning to conduct weekly awareness sessions on sanitation, like PT hours. Nothing has been finalised. We are still in discussion with the DPI and the department of education,” she says. But she adds with emphasis that the time has come for people to own up the responsibility of reducing the use of plastic.