Best Practices 2022-23

DDU Kaushal Kendra

Best Practices 1

  1. Title of the Practice:

    IDENTIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PRESERVATION OF FIVE RELIC FORESTS

    Relic forests comprise very original and unique cultural vegetation corresponding to the indigenous culture. Preservation of these relic forests protects local biodiversity and prevents the extinction of numerous indigenous floras.

  2. Objective:

    To prevent our local heritage and environment from qualitative and quantitative degradation of the forests.

  3. Context:

    Relic forests of Purba Medinipur are not a space of landscape gardening for amusement but are rather a ‘relic forest-traditional village eco-tope’, namely a unique cultural space in which nature and humans are in harmony. Most of thesurviving relic forests are fast disappearing. Creating awareness about these relic forests among local people, school and college students, and different NGOs can help in the preservation and flourishing of local biodiversity.

  4. Practice:

    Departments of Zoology and Botany of our college have selected five such relic forests in our locality. The first is near Kolaghat Thermal Power Station and is nearly about 1 hectare area. The second one is situated at Nandigram Dhanno-Kudiya generally known as Bahadur Gram. The rest three are very small patches near about 200 decimal area situated in remote interior villages. The college has acquired required permission to restore the flora and fauna of these forests and has been regularly monitoring the entry and exit of new species of plants and animals in these forests. Since the past four years, the college has been restoring the floral and faunal diversity of these areas. Through a survey on the historical records of each relic forest, an eco-sociological reinterpretation of the origins of the forests was carried out. Also, an on-site phytosociological investigation of the relic forests and their habitat conditions was accomplished. The transformation of the cover-abundance value was used to indicate the tree species performance of each relic forest.

  5. Evidence of Success:

    The college has been able to systematically preserve the herbarium sheet of the said places. Methodical record-keeping has helped in establishing the medicinal values of a few plants present in these areas and has helped in understanding the type of seed dispersal and pollination patterns of the plant in this relic forest. This in turn has enriched the knowledge base of the students and has also opened up research possibilities in front of them via hands on training.

  6. Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

    Due to changes of values in our present modern society in the twentieth century it is quite difficult to maintain this type of small patches of forest.An urban industrial style of living has resulted in a decline of the values of these forests. As a result, it was a challenge to convince people about the importance of these biologically diverse patches of forest lands. Thereafter, it was a task to protect the natural wilderness of these patches from unwanted human exploitation. With the aid of the students, the departments of Zoology and Botany have been able to consistently preserve, protect, and enrich the local biodiversity of these areas.

Best Practices 2

  1. Title of the practice:

    MANAGING WASTE AND PRESERVING WATER

    Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required tomanage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport,treatment, and disposal of waste,together with monitoring and regulation of the wastemanagement process and waste-related laws, technologies, and economicmechanisms. Waste management goes hand in hand with preserving water. Controlled and sustainable use of water resources is necessary to minimize damageto life, property, and groundwater level and to maximize efficient beneficial use.

  2. Objective:

    To manage waste effectively so as to reduce the dangerous effects of waste on theenvironment and human health and to practice sustainable use of water to avoid misuse and overextraction of groundwater.

  3. Context:

    Waste can be solid, liquid, or gas and each type have differentmethods of disposal andmanagement. Since, the college generates a lot of different types of waste, it becomes imperative to manage the waste so as to facilitate proper disposal of non-biodegradable waste, recycling of reusable waste, and conversion of biodegradable waste into compost. And the goal of sustainable water management is to reduce groundwater extraction to maintain the balancebetween human water demands and the overall sustainability of groundwater resourcesand associated ecosystems.

  4. Practice:

    The college has adopted the methodology of the ‘5 R(s)’ – refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose andrecycle. This is an important methodology for businesses to follow to ensure they canreduce waste and boost their recycling efforts. The college has installed separate bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. The biodegradable waste is collected and converted into vermicompost, which is used for fertilizing the medicinal plants and other trees on the campus, thereby facilitating circular economy. The non-biodegradable waste is collected by the local authorities as directed by the West Bengal government. Chemical wastes from the laboratories are handled with care and not allowed to mix with general wastes.

    The college has implemented rainwater harvesting to store rainwater for further use. The water collected through rainwater harvesting is sent to washrooms situated on the ground floor, without the use of water pump, thereby saving electricity. The college also remains alert about any leakage in pipes, and mends them promptly to avoid any wastage of water. Tanks and reservoirs are regularly cleaned and maintained. Two 2 liters bottles are put in every cistern so as to avoid flush of excessive water. Colors are dissolved in every cistern so as to detect minor leakages. These innovative indigenous techniques allow the use of only as much water as necessary for flushing purposes, thereby preventing any wastage. In addition to the above, Zoology department of the college has developed a “Water-footprint Software” to calculate water consumption per individual in the locality. This, along with the knowledge about groundwater level helps in promoting judicious use of water so as to avoid any wastage. The college also tries to assess groundwater level in the nearby localities and accordingly suggest alternative farming practices that will facilitate good produce without over-extraction of groundwater.

  5. Evidence of Success:

    There has been considerable reduction in waste generation due to recycling and reuse of biodegradable waste and certain portions of E-waste. The reuse of biodegradable waste to generate bio-fertilizers for plants has also brought about a change in the attitude of the students and employees, who are becoming aware of the hazards of different types of wastes and the utility of recycling, repurposing, and reusing waste.

    Approximately twenty cistern points in the ground-floor washrooms use rainwater during the monsoon months as far as possible. Rainwater is also used to water the garden at the ground level. 

  6. Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

    It was a challenge to habituate students and staff with the practice of segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes and disposing them off in the designated bins. However, with constant reminder and leading by practice, the college managed to inculcate the habit in students. The conservation of rainwater required a preliminary infrastructural set-up which was duly obtained.