Planet or Plastic ?
Fergusson College joins Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN)
First Ever Guideline for Single-use Plastic-Free Campus
2nd October 2019: Pune, India
"Action starts now. No more speeches and lectures. That's what Bapu-ji (Mahatma Gandhi) conveyed during his address to Banaras Hindu University in 1916. Though it was in context of the India's freedom struggle, it is so valid in today's world infested with plastics", said Rajendra Shende, Chairman of TERRE Policy Centre when the action against plastic started in the campus of Fergusson college here on 2nd October 2019.
India's Prime Minister Modi has urged the nation to 'kick the habit and start the new era free from single-use plastics'. Students and Faculty of the Deccan Education Society's (DES) Fergusson college, one of the 19 heritage colleges declared by Government of India, grasped the message and kicked off the movement.
TERRE Policy Centre under its Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN), on 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi released the first ever 'Guideline for single-use plastic free campus' in Fergusson College at the hands of Dr. Sharad Kunte, Chairman GB DES.
"The campaign to reduce the single-use plastics was taken by DES 3-years back. 50000 students of our society has distributed pamphlets about requesting the elimination of plastics from daily use in public. Our NSS department has conducted street plays, flash mobs and many such programs are being organized throughout the year. This year as an honour to Rashtrapita Mahatma Gandhi, we have picked up the campaign again as a part of SCCN. When students are devoted to any activity, we are sure about achieving the success", he said .
The guideline will catalyze the actions in the campus to become plastic free, Dr Kunte stated. The action started immediately through plastic collection drive in the heritage campus. Aligning with the guidelines of UGC and appeal to the educational campuses by MHRD, SCCN will facilitate the campaigns to contribute in the objectives of national guidelines. These activities will also leverage the contribution of educational campuses to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Starting form Fergusson College, soon the remaining 40+ campuses of DES will also join SCCN as registered members.
'I Pledge to avoid single-use plastic, to reuse or recycle the plastic that I use, to educate others about plastic waste and to take action to make plastic pollution a thing to the past', was sworn by the students, faculty and staff of the campus.
"Fergusson has always been the first institute to take up any problem in the forefront of the Nation. This plastic problem is not only in front of India but for the whole world. The students of the college will act as messenger to the entire society through various drives, out of which one was conducted today for awareness on reducing the usage of single-use plastic from the campus," emphasized Dr. Tanuuja Marathe, Officiating Principal and Head of Geology Department, Fergusson College
"The Department of Environment, including the students and faculty constantly look out for opportunities to contribute in the well-being and needs of the society arising due to environmental crisis. The UG, PG and Research centre are actively involved in various environmental and social initiatives throughout the year. Being a registered member of SCCN, our campus have initiated single-use plastic free campus campaign today and are encouraged to use our the strength of its students to contribute in Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)," - Rupali Gaikwad, Head of Environment Department, Fergusson College.
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Note for editors:
TERRE Policy Centre (www.terrepolicycentre.com) is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization dedicated to sustainable solutions to our developmental imperatives. TERRE also is the abbreviation for 'Technology, Education, Research and Rehabilitation for the Environment.' TERRE strives to reach all strata of society, particularly the young generation and people at the bottom of the pyramid with capacity building tools on energy and food security. Its motto is: "To think is good but to act is better". SCCN (www.sccnhub.com), project of TERRE Policy Centre facilitates colleges and universities to mainstream the future policy-makers and policy-implementers in implementing the SDGs by promoting sharing of the information on transformative actions undertaken by students and faculties in the campus. More importantly, it encourages to deploy the digital technologies like IoT (Internet of Thing), AI (Artificial Intelligence), Cloud-networking, Machine-to-machine learning and Block chain for optimum use of energy, water in campus and catalyse effective waste management, sustainable transport, air pollution and nature conservation within the campus.
Fergusson College (https://fergusson.edu) an autonomous public educational institution offering courses in the streams of arts and science in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society.
Contact details:
Dinah Gengmei, Project Leader TERRE Policy Centre
Phone: +91 020 2544 8650 / 2544 8488
Email:
Rupali Gaikwad, Head of Environment Department Fergusson College
Phone: +91 020 6765 6441
Email:
Dr. Tanuuja Marathe, Officiating Principal and Head of Geology Department, Fergusson College
Dinah Gengmei, Project Leader TERRE
Plastic collection drive by students