Eco-club programme launched in Dibrugarh Reporter TINSUKIA, Nov 23 – The Eco-club programme, a project of Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Government of India under National Green Corps (NGC) programme, has been launched in Dibrugarh district with fund distribution-cum-in-charge teachers training programme on three different venues covering 250 schools of the district.
This school-based programme was launched nationwide way back in 2002 to encourage participation of schoolchildren in environment activities through networking of ‘eco-clubs’. In Assam the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) has been acting as state nodal agency while the Center for Environment Education-North East (CEE-NE), Guwahati acted as resource agency. At district level, the ‘Ed-en-a society for environmental education, Tinsukia (NGO) which is acting as District Implementing Agency (DIA) for Tinsukia district since 2002 and completed 1st and 2nd phases of the programme entrusted by ASTEC to implement the project in Dibrugarh district as DIA.
The Eco-club programme was inaugurated at Dibrugarh Bengali Boys’ HS School for schools of Dibrugarh and nearby areas by Dhandev Mahanta, secretary, SEBA who at length deliberated on the role and responsibilities of incharge teachers in sustainability of eco-clubs. In her presentation, Memma Singha of CEE-NE outlined the concept and objective of NGC programme. Among others, who addressed the teachers as resource persons and guests, were Holiram Phukan, regional executive engineer-pollution control board, Debendranath Bhattacharyya-president ‘Ed-en’ Nasir Sultan, headmaster, Mankata High School, and master trainers for the District Jharna Saikia of Graham Bazar Girls’ High School and Samiran Das of Jokai High School. The NGC funds meant for eco-clubs and resource materials developed by ‘Ed-en’ were distributed among incharge teachers.
Earlier the coordinator of the programme and secretary of ‘Ed-en’ Dr Rishi Das while initiating the training programme delivered on the significance of Eco-clubs in contact of confidence-building-and leadership among children.
The second incharge teachers training programme for Moran area was held at St Andrews High School, Moranhat on November 17 and where Jayanta Dutta, assistant engineer, Pollution Control Board. Memma Singha of CEE-NE, DN Bhattacharyya and Dr Rishi Das of ‘Ed-en’ acted as resource persons.
