Hello Panditji
I am working as a teacher. I would like to
know more about teaching Environmental studies for Class X students effectively, with the
help of models. How to prepare, please let me know.
Vaidehi
Via email
Dear Vaidehiji,
I feel encouraged by your letter.
People like you give more strength to my elbow. Class X is a board class so the students
have very little time for any extra work. Therefore it would be best to engage these
students in intellectual work that is in context to what they are supposed to learn for
their exams. It would be best not to add to their burden theoretical or practical work
because that would create in them a dislike for the subject.
 If you look at the issues
of environment closely you will know that we do not have information or/and techniques
that we need to teach the students separately to be able to understand environment.
Everything that you teach to the students otherwise falls into the ambit of environment.
What is needed is a change in perspective.
For example, if you are teaching your students Science,
you should tell them about the impact the scientific process have had over our world in
the past 350 years. You should tell them about how the progress we have made over these
years poses restrictions to our civilisation in future?
Therefore there is no change in what you have to teach,
you just have to enable them to interpret the same information from a different
perspective.
I am a
resident of Hyderabad. I would like to know what is done with the daily domestic garbage
we throw in the local municipal dustbins. I mean things like plastic etc. I am aware that
the garbage is taken to the outskirts of the city and dumped in certain grounds. But then
what? Is the waste just left there until there will be a huge mountain of garbage or is
there some process where the waste is recycled? If so what is the recycled stuff then used
for and what remains in the dumping ground?
Naomi Nandakumar
Via email
Dear Naomiji,
After we dispose off waste in municipal bins, the waste is collected by municipalities and
taken straight to the landfills where it is dumped. Usually there are composting plants
just next to landfills which make compost out of the waste. But there are many problems
associated with it. The waste is not segregated, which means that plastics etc remain
present within the waste, which makes composting difficult.
 In some cities, there
are pilot projects taking place on burning of waste, known by many names like pyrolysis,
incineration, pelletisation etc. There is most probably a pelletisation plant in Hyderabad
as well. But environmentalists oppose such projects as these are supposed to release
toxins into the environment.
A very important job is done by ragpickers, who segregate
waste and sell recyclables. But they are not part of the formal waste management system.
There are some NGOs which are running programmes on waste segregation and recycling, but
they are limited to few colonies.
India now has Solid Waste (Management and Handling)
Rules, 2000, notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
According to these rules the Municipal authorities should
have proper collection, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal facility for
the municipal solid waste generated in the urban area. But though segregation is
mandatory, not many municipalities have capacity to do so. Even the Municipal Corporation
of Delhi has failed in this regard. |
