Objectives of the Practice

• To adopt integrated eco-friendly practices for protecting nature.
• To popularize environment sustainable practices as a way of life in the campus.
• To implant the responsibility of safe guarding nature in individuals and community.
• To make the students ambassadors of change in the society .

The Context

The depleting natural resources, alarming environmental pollution and irreversible damage to the mother earth propelled the college to adopt “Prakruthi” as an eco friendly campus project. It is an integrated program involving the college management, staff, students and public. The college incorporates various collegiate activities with community oriented services in order to implant social consciousness about the urgency to protect and conserve the nature. “Prakruthi” was as a result of the eco consciousness generated by the collaborative project with the Eluru Municipal Corporation about Solid Waste Management conducted in 2015.

The Practice

“PRAKRUTHI” is unique in that it is like a big umbrella that covers a wide range of healthy practices involving the micro level of students to macro level of Eluru Municipal Corporation and the society at large. It was initiated through collaborative seminars and workshops with AP Pollution Control Board, gained momentum from a mega student project on solid waste management in Eluru in collaboration with Eluru Municipal Corporation, strengthened in the Theresian Swatch Bharat Abhiyan movement and resulted in the transformation of the college into a clean and green haven

The project includes activities like

• Installation of 100 KW solar energy plant with net metering
• Establishment of a paper recycling unit the waste paper generated in the campus that produce hand and made paper files, greeting cards, bags other products
• Construction of rain water harvesting units
• Observation of plastic and vehicle free days
• Green Audit and developing model clean and green swatch habitations in collaboration with local government administration and public
• Donation of tricycles and pioneering efficient collection, segregation and disposal of solid waste in Panchayat.
• Producing vermicompost using biodegradable waste from the campus
• Organic farming and marketing of vegetables and greens.

The green soldiers of the campus- the volunteers of Eco club having imbibed the eco consciousness became ambassadors of change in the society and actively participate in the programmes partnership programmes of the college like the Eluru smart city development program and other service oriented activities.

Evidence of success

The practice has percolated into the grass root level bringing about behavioral changes in staff and students towards sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

• There is a significant change in the management of solid waste in the campus and adopted villages.
• The recycled paper products are gaining popularity and started generating income.
• Reduced the expenditure on electricity, increased ground water levels, increased carbon neutrality and popularization of organic products are the evidences of success within the campus.

Major success of Prakruthi is it’s mobilization of the local public and administration to transform the adopted village into a model swatch habitation. It has motivated other villages to approach the college for various collaboration programmes.

Problems encountered and resources required

• High initial investment to establish the solar power plant and paper recycling unit are the major challenges encountered.
• To eliminate the habitual practices against nature is tedious and needs sustained motivation to make it successful.
• If financial support is assured the programme can be strengthened
• It is estimated that it takes four to five years to recover the investment.

For such mega project government support and cooperation are essential. The resources required are manpower, more waste disposing units and equipments for setting up the paper recycling unit and solar power plant.