The Green Campus, Energy and Environment Policy
The relationship between Bankura Christian College (BCC) and its surrounding environment is a long, friendly and enduring one. The college students and staff know the importance of the environment for our healthy work culture. The buildings of this educational institution stand in the centre of the town, a topographical feature that has been consciously chosen to preserve and protect.
Since 1968, the college has always had sustainable initiatives at the core of all activities. About 25% of the 119 bighas campus is covered with large trees, bushes, and a big tank. The rest of the campus can be categorized as playgrounds, academic buildings, and gardens. Thus, a huge area is left in its natural form and acts as a natural habitat for biodiversity and a large variety of species of grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees.
Scope of the Policy
The Green Campus, Energy, and Environment Policies will develop exciting new co-curricular and extracurricular practices that encourage students to take the lead in creating positive change. These initiatives call for a thorough review of all infrastructural, administrative, and environmental functions from the standpoints of energy efficiency, sustainability, and green campus initiatives.
The focus areas of this policy are:
- Clean Campus Initiatives
- Landscaping Initiatives
- Clean air Initiatives
- Smoking Free Campus
- Plastic-free campus
- Reduce, recycle and reuse the non-biodegradable substances.
- Reducing the level of pollution through the plantation, safeguarding the natural flora and fauna, and bioremediation of toxic substances
- Solar Power Plant
- Installation of Energy Efficiency Equipment
- Water Conservation through Rainwater Harvesting System
- Reducing the buing of petroleum/Diesel by prohibiting the two-wheelers and four-wheelers on the campus
- e-Waste Management
- Solid Waste Management
- Liquid Waste Management
- Awareness Initiatives
- Environment-centric Student Societies and Department Activities
- By conducting green Audit
Objectives of the Policy
- To protect and conserve ecological systems and resources within the campus.
- To ensure the judicious use of environmental resources to meet the college's needs and the aspirations of present and future generations.
- Integrate environmental conces into policies, plans, and programmes for social development and outreach activities through NSS units.
- To work with all stakeholders and the local community to raise awareness, seek the adoption of environmental good practices, and reduce any adverse environmental effects through a programme of environmental awareness.
- To improve our contribution to climate protection, adaptation to climate change, and conservation of natural resources.
- To improve the efficient use of all resources, including energy and water, and to reduce consumption and the amount of waste produced, recovering and recycling waste where possible.
- To conduct environmental and energy audits from time to time.
Clean Campus Initiatives
BCC has pledged to coordinate cleanliness activities in the college and beyond the campus actively in accordance with the vision of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. It commits to continue with this Programme. The broad vision is as follows:
- Generating mass awareness of cleanliness and hygiene amongst students and staff members by holding regular cleanliness drives. The idea is to motivate them to contribute in a proactive manner.
- Activities under the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ will be a key component of all the community work done by NSS, NCC, and the college's volunteers.
- Events such as poster and slogan competitions, essay writing, spoken word poetry, speeches, and ‘Swachh Bharat’ are organised.
- Rallies on themes connected with ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ are conducted on and around the college campus to create mass awareness.
- Remove all kinds of waste material from the campus.
- workshops are conducted on the 3Rs: Reduce, reusing and recycling of waste.
Landscaping Initiatives
The college campus landscape is a vital part of a campus's life, providing space for study, play, outdoor events, relaxation, and aesthetic appreciation. Green campus landscapes also manage runoff, help recharge groundwater, and clean and cool the air on campus. The landscape serves as a visual representation of the campus community’s commitment to sustainability. There are more than 350 trees and more than 300 species of herbs and shrubs on campus, along with 1.5 acres of grass cover. The landscape of trees and plants provides the 2500+ students and staff with clean and cool air and is a soothing environment. BCC's diverse green cover is also home to at least 44 species of animals and rare birds, creating a campus rich in biodiversity. The college commits to enriching this healthy habitat and maintaining the institution's symbiotic relationship with the environment.
Clean Air Initiatives
We encourage our students and staff to use public transportation. We encourage activity to control air pollution. The entry of automobiles inside the campus is restricted to discourage the use of private vehicles. We feel responsible for maintaining our green cover. The abundant natural landscape not only cleans the air on campus but also becomes an extension of the city's green lungs.
Smoking Free Campus
In compliance with the framework provided by the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) 2007-2008, the college prohibits smoking and the use of other tobacco products. The college attempts its best to promote a tobacco-free environment. As a step in this direction, smoking and the use of tobacco in and around the campus are strictly prohibited. The college's anti-smoking committee ensures the enforcement of the anti-smoking policy.
Renewable Sources of Energy
BCC is dedicated to minimising and sustainably managing its use of electricity. The college believes in reducing the consumption of electricity produced by non-renewable resources by switching to clean energy sources like solar energy for purposes like lighting the campus. A solar panel has already been installed on the floor of the college's main building.
Energy Saving and Energy Efficient Equipment
We commit to installing environment-friendly electrical appliances that save energy and reduce wasteful inefficiencies. The college believes in using cleaner energy, such as LED lighting.
Water Conservation through Rainwater Harvesting System
As an institution located in the drought prone Bankura district, the area that has seen the maximum fall in groundwater levels, BCC has committed itself to replenishing the groundwater table by practising rainwater harvesting. This practice helps replenish and recharge the groundwater.
Waste Management Processes
BCC strives to have a minimal impact on the environment and is dedicated to reducing and managing the waste generated by the college campus. The following specific procedures have already been undertaken to ensure BMC's contribution to protecting the environment.
Solid Waste Management
The college has already adopted practices that will mitigate the solid waste generation, and manage solid waste through the following methods:
- Systematically engage with the3Rs that is Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
- Collect paper waste produced on campus and collaborate with scrap dealers for recycling.
- Reduce solid waste by developing a technology-centred teaching.
- Reduce printed book requirements by updating the college library's e-books and e-jouals collection.
- Encourage the students and teachers to use emails/WhatsApp for assignment submissions.
- Take initiatives to spread awareness amongst students about food wastage and ways of minimizing it.
- Organizing workshops for students on waste management.
- To provide a caretaker to take steps to stop water leakage through taps, pipes, tanks, toilet flush, etc.
E-Waste Management
BCC ensures that its technology usage and e-waste generation does not impact the environment. For this purpose, the college has made provisions:
- For the disposal of institutional e-waste.
- Collaboration with e-waste recycling companies to get electronic waste recycled.
- Awareness amongst students about the reduction of e-waste and environment-friendly disposal practices for e-waste.
- Encouraging department-level activities pertaining to e-waste management.
Environment-centric Student Societies and Department Activities
BCC encourages all departments, specific societies like NSS and NCC, NGOs, and others to organize events, competitions, and training sessions that bring about positive environmental changes. The college supports departments and students in moulding students' attitudes towards environmental protection and conservation.
Conduct Green Audit
The college regularly conducts a Green Audit to assess our strengths and weaknesses to further our goals of long-term sustainability. A green audit is a useful tool to decide most energy and water, or resources are being used. Recycling projects or waste minimization plans have already been adopted. It will create health consciousness. It provides a better understanding of the impact of eco-friendly practices on campus. Green auditing will promote financial savings through the reduction of resource use. It is imperative that the college evaluate its own contributions toward a sustainable future.
Plastic-Free Campus
In view of the Govement of India’s resolution to ban all single-use plastics due to the hazardous impact of plastic use and pollution, the college administration strictly bans the use of single-use plastics on its premises to make it a ‘Plastic Free Campus’.