'Imbibing importance of environmental preservation must for students'

Srinagar, Aug 10: The “Healthy Streams for Healthy Neighbors” initiative was formally launched today during a Mass Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) at Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Rainawari.

The programme aims to make stream water drinkable by preventing sewage inflow, thereby protecting the health of both people and the environment.

The event brought together faculty and students from schools across the Rainawari cluster. The Chief Guest was noted environmentalist and Chairman of NLCO, Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, and the Guest of Honour was Prof. M.A. Shah, HoD Physics, NIT Srinagar. The programme was presided over by Principal GHSS Rainawari, Mrs. Gulshan Afroza.

Students presented a variety of performances highlighting environmental awareness and community responsibility. The Chief Guest and Guest of Honour toured the school campus, where they were shown the school’s remarkable science laboratory, a flourishing vegetable garden, and an innovative QR-coded planter system enabling students to monitor plant growth and stay connected with nature.

The project is being implemented by GHSS students under the guidance of Khursheed Ahmad and Gowhar Khursheed, with the School Green Team headed by Irm Fatimah. She officially handed over the project document to Wangnoo in the presence of Prof. Shah. In his address, Wangnoo praised the school’s environmental stewardship and its holistic approach to learning. He commended the dedication of the faculty and extended special appreciation to the school gardener. He said that the school is a hidden gem and has done wonderful work on making the students environmentally conscious. He further pledged that NLCO, in collaboration with participating schools, will clean one designated patch of Dal Lake to inculcate environmental responsibility among students. In his concluding remarks, Wangnoo thanked all the guests especially Dr M A shah, principal GHSS Gulshan Aforza, senior lecturers & teachers of GHSS Rainawari. He also expressed his thanks to the teachers, parents and students from cluster for attending this initiative and PTM.

Prof. Shah in his address, lauded the initiative, recommending that all schools adopt similar enthusiasm for environmental protection. The event concluded with a collective pledge by all attendees to make the school premises plastic- and polythene-free.

Principal Afroza expressed her gratitude to the guests, faculty, students, and participating schools for making the event a success.