All For A Smaller Footprint

Kochi, (Women's Feature Service) - On January 28, 2006, students of Sacred Heart College, Kochi, set in motion a novel attempt to preserve nature. The students, under the banner of the Primrose Nature Club of the college, along with the National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, Tourism Club and the botany and zoology associations, embarked on a project to protect the long-neglected mangrove vegetation in the nearby Nettoor railway station.

"We had two objectives in mind when we decided to take up this project. One was to do something that would send out a social message and make people aware of what they should be doing. The second was to take up an activity that future club members could continue," says Dr V J Dominic, a Lecturer in the Botany Department and Director of the Primrose Nature Club.

The idea of preserving mangroves in a government property like the railway station premises was a well-thought-after one, says Dominic. "When we discussed disaster management and damage control in the post-tsunami scenario at one of our meetings, many students expressed an interest in protecting mangroves as an outreach programme, so that people would know the role this vegetation can play in pressure situations. But most of the mangrove vegetation available in the city had been encroached upon by people, and we knew it would be difficult to convince private property owners right away about nature preservation...they will look at it as a threat to their possession. If we start with public property, we can slowly approach private individuals too," he explains.

The evergreen mangrove forests along the coasts have very high ecological value. When the 2004 tsunami hit the Kerala coast, killing over 120 people in the state, the coast was relatively shielded by the mangrove forests. The Kerala coast has always had rich mangrove reserves. From 1911 to 1980, mangroves covered nearly 70,000 hectares of land, but now the cover is less than 1,000 hectares. Known as the 'breathing system of the coast', mangroves also provide quiet breeding grounds for various kinds of fish. "Reduction in mangroves has led to a decrease in fish in the area because their eggs need a particular environment provided by mangroves for growth," points out Dominic. "Now fish delicacies such as shrimp and prawn are grown in hatcheries for export,'' he adds.

The students approached the Southern Railways and expressed their desire to create a model mangrove by cultivating different varieties of the tree and protecting the life system associated with the mangrove forest. The railways, as per protocol, had to approach Delhi and get its consent, but everything went smoothly. "Railway officials were enthusiastic about the project and we got the nod without any bureaucratic hurdle," Dominic remembers.

"This is the first time that the railways and a college have come together for this kind of a cause and we are happy that we were able to send out a strong message to the public," says Reshma Babu, Students Secretary of the club, and a second year BSc student. "The land under preservation is about four hectares. We have erected 24 boards bordering it, displaying the advantages of protecting mangroves. We roped in the local community to clean the station. The railways, on its part, renovated and painted the old railway station building. In addition to the existing varieties, we are sourcing more mangroves to be planted here. And after summer, we also plan to plant medicinal plants," she says.

"The club has been active for over 20 years and we have taken up several activities before. But this was for the first time that the students are collaborating with a government organisation - the Indian Railways - to drive home the message of environmental protection," Dominic adds.

"Every year we conduct seminars, symposia and workshops involving experts of national reputation to discuss issues varying from general environmental threats such as pollution and lack of cleanliness to more specific topics like the man-made drinking water crisis in the Plachimada panchayat and the tsunami disaster. We have had a huge response to all our programmes," Babu explains enthusiastically. The Club also observes environmentally important dates, such as World Environment Day and Earth Day.

Six years ago, students of the club declared the college plastic-free. Since then, all non-biodegradable plastic items (such as low-thickness polythene bags) have been off the campus. "All these flower pots have been installed by the students," says Dominic pointing to the long line of pots dotting the college veranda. "The principal was not optimistic, but now, a team of students regularly inspects the pots to ensure that the gardener cares for them properly." The students also convinced the principal to set up a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 50,000 litres in the college.

The nature club was started in 1982 as a social forestry club, which tied up with the state forest department to promote forest conservation and conduct awareness programmes. In 1990, it was renamed the Primrose Nature Club. Every year around 200 students enrol as members, but it is not just members who participate in the programmes conducted by the nature club. "When it comes to activities, the entire college participates, and we also tune our programmes that way," says Dominic.

Next on the club's agenda is making water available for 12 below poverty line families in Kochi. This is an important project because, despite the abundance of water in the state, Kerala faces an acute water crisis. The sight of people waiting in long queues in front of public water taps is a familiar one. "With the help of the state government and the Water Authority, we will make water conservation equipment available for these families at a nominal cost. Efforts are on to identify these families," says Dominic about the club's future plans.