AMRITSAR: Faculty members from as many as 150 colleges were trained in a workshop organized jointly by Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar (GNDU) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi here today. This workshop titled “Advancing Green Educational Campuses – A Regional Experience Sharing” was organized to sensitize colleges to mobilize action for a green campus. Directors of Internal Quality Assurance Cell of universities and colleges were invited and attended the workshop.
A green campus is a place that consumes fewer natural resources and generates less waste. This requires a range of measures for energy conservation, water conservation, waste management, reducing air pollution and improving overall health and well-being of the campus habitants.
“Guru Nanak Dev University has conducted a tree plantation drive, established a 1.48 MWp solar rooftop power plant, won the second cleanest campus award given by Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2018 and 2019, treats it wastewater in-situ treatment and ensures its reuse in the University Botanical Garden among many other initiatives.” – Dr. Sarbjot Singh Behl, Nodal Person RUSA, GNDU highlighted in his inaugural address at the workshop.
Similarly, many campuses have taken such green initiatives. CSE has mapped these initiatives taken by selected campuses who are also a part of CSE’s Forum of Green Campuses and published a preliminary assessment in a report titled “Green Campus Movement”. This report was launched at the workshop and it is aimed to guide and motivate other campuses to implement sustainability action on ground and enable cross learning.
Following the launch, Dr Adarshpal Vig, Chairman, Punjab Pollution Control Board, in his keynote address, stressed upon the need for environmental sensitivity among educators as well as campus inhabitants. “Mandatory requirements such as environmental impact assessment and evaluative criteria by National Accreditation and Assessment Council must not be the drivers for universities to take action on sustainability, instead should be the way life.” About 20 officers from Punjab Pollution Control Board participated in the event.
Commencing technical session, Mr. Raj Kumar Ratra, Senior Environmental Engineer from Punjab Pollution Control Board also elaborated the NAAC requisites that need regulatory action. Mitashi Singh, Deputy Programme Manager, Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme, CSE outlined the Key Indicator 7.1 and its five categories as given in the NAAC manual for universities to prepare self-study reports. Dr. Ritu Raj Kaur in her session on GNDU Emission Inventory presented the several efforts made by the university in its aim to become a zero-carbon campus.
Mr. Rajneesh Sareen, Programme Director for Sustainable Buildings and Habitat Programme (SBHP) at CSE, concluded the technical sessions for the workshop with discussions on how to conduct environment and energy audits. Participants actively brought their questions on preparation of NAAC reports which were resolved by the CSE representatives.