APCB, Aaranyak launch 'Pollution Abating Schools' initiative in Guwahati

Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 2 (ANI): The Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB), in collaboration with Aaranyak, launched the "Pollution Abating Schools in Guwahati" project, aiming to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices among school students.
The inception workshop of the initiative was held on Friday at the APCB conference hall. Delivering the inaugural speech, GK Misra, Member Secretary of the Assam Pollution Control Board, highlighted the need for civic participation in environmental conservation and pollution abatement.
Misra said that APCB is likely to expand support to more schools based on the results of this pilot initiative.
"Pollution Abatement Schools in Guwahati", marking a new step towards abating pollution in Guwahati City, he said.
The programme is part of an umbrella scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, aimed at curbing environmental pollution.
He also appreciated the students' curiosity and explained several simple yet impactful steps that young people can adopt to minimise pollution in their daily lives.
He formally launched the programme and expressed his enthusiasm for continuing to collaborate with Aaranyak in future initiatives aimed at environmental conservation and education.
"Aaranyak has been providing necessary guidance to the new generation of the NE region to usher in a new era of ecological security," said Jayanta Kumar Pathak, Assistant Director of the Environment Education and Capacity Building (EECB) division of Aaranyak, while presenting about the pollution-abating initiative.
Pathak also acknowledged the active support of Samagra Shiksha Assam for the environmental and sustainability education initiative led by Aaranyak, which aims to engage school students in environmental stewardship, aligning with the Mission LiFE.
Simanta Kalita, Senior Consultant at Aaranyak, while highlighting the detailed roadmap for Pollution Abatement Schools, also presented some key findings of a KAP study carried out among students on Pollution Abatement.
The study was recently conducted by the Environment Education and Capacity Building Division (EECBD) of Aaranyak in some schools in Guwahati.
Kanteswar Kalita, Senior Planning & Research Officer, APCB, in his welcome address, emphasised the need to inculcate positive behavioural changes among students through experiential learning in daily life.
He appreciated Aaranyak's consistent efforts in nurturing responsible young minds and fostering community participation to drive collective action and create a sustainable impact in nature conservation and environmental protection.
The workshop was attended by representatives of students, teachers, research scholars, officials of Dakshin Beltola High School, Aaranyak, and APCB.
The workshop was moderated and coordinated by Geetashree Sharma and Tikendrajit Gogoi of Aaranyak, along with Kakoli Das Kalita. (ANI)