Composting Facility inaugurated at Vidya Vikas Acdemy, Margao as part of the Project STARS initiative

Composting Facility inaugurated at Vidya Vikas Acdemy, Margao as part of the Project STARS initiative

Margao, April 2016: Project STARS, a TERI-Dempo partnership is working towards encouraging schools to practice the principles of sustainability by focusing on its environmental and socio cultural performance. As part of this initiative, Vidya Vikas Academy, Margao was supported to build a composting facility. The facility was inaugurated by Mrs.Pallavi Dempo, Executive Director, Dempo IndustriesPvt. Ltd.in the presence of Dr.Prita Mallaya,Vidya Vikas Mandal, officials from TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), Dempo Group and school students and the management of Vidya Vikas Academy.

Project STARS, (Sustainability Tracking, Action and Reporting in Schools)consolidates the TERI- DEMPO partnership by carrying forward and building upon the work carried under the previous TERI-Dempo initiative, “The Vasudeva V. Dempo Climate Change Awareness Programme for Goan School Children 2010-2012”. This unique partnership between TERI’s Goa Centre and V. S. Dempo Holdings Pvt. Ltd (DEMPO) is in the nature of a three year intensive education and action programme (2013-2016) on sustainable schools in Goa.

The project works with a cross section of 10 schools across the state that was a part of the earlier TERI-DEMPO climate change awareness initiative. Vidya Vikas Academy was selected based on their solid support and performance under that project, in addition to their continuous commitment to the cause of the environment.

Said Chief Guest Mrs.Pallavi Dempo, Executive Director, Dempo Industries Pvt. Ltd. at the inaugural of the facility, “Waste management is a matter of immense concern in the state of Goa. We have ideal partners - TERI who have partnered with the Dempo Group to put into process sustainable initiatives, such as the one being inaugurated today. We need to lead by example and that is what we have done today through this initiative which will not only educate our future generation on waste segregation, but also spread this message into the surrounding community. I congratulate the school on this wonderful initiative”.

Added Dr.Alan Rodrigues, Principal, Vidya Vikas Academy, ““The TERI Dempo program ‘Project STARS’ Sustainability tracking, action and reporting in Schools should be a part of every school program in Goa. Waste management like segregation of waste reducing, reusing and recycling should be a part of school syllabus if we need to truly make a difference in Goa to environmental issues and the garbage problem. To all of us present here and particularly the students who are the future of our state and our country, each one of us have a part to play being a responsible citizen where these issues are concerned. The TERI Dempo initiative has impacted us at the academy.”

Sharing an overview of Project STARS, Shabana Kazi, Associate Fellow (Sustainable Development Outreach and Youth Education, TERI), and project STARS coordinator, said“as the school was not managing its waste sustainably, the project intervened by setting up a wet waste management facility here. Awarenessand training workshops onsource segregation and also on using the facility to compost organic waste generated in the school have been
conducted. Plans are on to channelize waste from the surrounding areas so as to filter the benefits to the local community around the school as well. ’’ The event was compared by Ms.Saltanat Kazi, Consultant, Sustainable Development Outreach and Youth Education, TERI.

The school community at the 10 member schools are the direct beneficiaries (approximately 10,000 persons) of the resources created under the project, as the interventions reach out to a large section of the school, including teachers, support staff, parents and the local community.

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