Best Practices 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Best Practices 2
Title of the practice:
DISTRIBUTION OF MASKS AND SANITIZERS TO COMBAT COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic necessitated maintenance of social distance, usage of masks, frequent washing of hands, and usage of hand sanitizers. However, for the financially backward residents of society, it is a challenge to afford masks and sanitizers, after managing their basic sustenance.
Objective:
To distribute masks and sanitizers among the villagers and to train them to use those so as to check the spread of Covid-19 as far as possible in these villages.
Context:
The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic put the villagers at immense health risk. With limited means of livelihood, these villagers faced immense problem to combat such a deadly disease. In addition to lack of means for buying masks and sanitizers, these villagers were also not aware of the importance and correct usage of these products. The college took initiative to make them aware of the products, distribute the products, and monitor closely to ensure constant and correct use of them by the villagers.
Practice:
The college raised funds to buy disposable masks for the villagers of the adopted villages. The Chemistry department prepared sanitizers in the laboratory and distributed them among the villagers. The villagers were made aware about the severity of Covid-19 and were told the significance of masks and sanitizers in tackling the spread of the disease. After the distribution of masks and sanitizers, a team from the college regularly visited the villages to monitor the correct usage of masks and sanitizers by the villagers. They also kept a tab on villagers complaining of fever, post which the diseased was advised to maintain a quarantine period so as to check the spread of the disease. More than 300 villagers, especially women and the poor, were given masks and sanitizers.
Evidence of Success:
Due to the constant monitoring, the adopted villages reported a limited number of cases and a large section managed to evade a contraction of the disease.
Problems Encountered and Resources Required:
The villagers were initially reluctant to use both masks and sanitizers. They were also not serious about self-confinement during the disease and did not prefer to get themselves tested for Covid-19 in case of occurrence of symptoms. However, with persistent efforts and constant counselling and monitoring, the villagers finally developed the habit of using masks and sanitizers. They also got themselves tested and quarantined, which eventually led to a curb in the spread of the disease in the villages.
