Objectives of the Practice

• To develop social responsibility in the students towards creating a clean and safe environment.
• To spread the awareness of the havoc created by irresponsible solid waste management.
• To promote safe handling and Management of Solid Waste and prevent damage to the environment.
• To help and build clean and green communities and societies by adopting local habitations/villages and by developing it by involving local people and leaders.

The Context

In Municipality and the villages surrounding the College irresponsible solid waste disposal creates havoc and poses great threat to the safety and protection of the environment. The soil, water and air pollution creates irreparable damage to the environment yet no one assumes social responsibility.The clarion call of the honourable Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi for “Swatch Bharat Abhiyan, on 2nd October, 2014. strengthened the resolve of the Theresians to be champions of clean and green society and environment. Shouldering social responsibility to make our neighboured clean and find sustainable methods to create this awareness, the students under the guidance of the staff initiated the TSBN in October, 2014.

The Practice

The final year Degree students, totalling to above 570 took up a project to study the existing practice of solid waste management in Eluru Municipality in collaboration with the Municipal officers, health and sanitary workers. At the end of the study, in October 2014 the Theresian Swatch Bharat Abhiyan (TSBA) was formally inaugurated with a Mega awareness campaign conducted in all the wards of the municipality, local schools and every street corners. Tree plantation, rally, Sramdhan and competitions being components of this campaign.

Adoption of a village every year, mobilization of local leaders and service minded citizens to collaborate in making the selected area a clean model village at the gross root level function of TSBA. Formation of a Voluntary Committee to supervise the activities and plans, segregation of dry and wet waste at home, door to door collection of solid waste and its safe disposal, plantation and care of shady trees and ornamental plants along the whole village, construction of good roads, prevention of dumping the waste in vacant lands and other similar activities, solar lighting of the streets are the activities being carried out.

Obstacles faced if any and strategies adapted to over come

Safe disposal of solid waste is a problem encountered as the municipality has not provided space/provision to effectively dispose or utilize the waste. The biggest challenge faced by TSBA is to effectively communicate the urgency of the problem regarding environmental protection upto the authorities who make legislation and percolate it to the gross root level.

Impact of the practice

There was a very highly positive response from the public. All the families of the adopted area got involved in planning and executing the activities for ensuring a sustainable system to protect their environment. Seeing the change produced there many other villages have come forward asking the College to take up their villages. Many philanthropists also came forward to work for the cause of environment protection.