Mumbai: School puts up water bank in premises, create squads to conserve water

To teach students about the importance of water conservation, the Vidyanidhi Educational Complex has started a water bank on their school premises. The initiative is expected to save water and spread awareness among students.

Basically, at the end of the day, students pour the water left in their bottles in one of the storage drums, named the camel water storage.

Std V student Laxmi Shetty said, "We store the left-over water from our water bottles in the water bank. Every child has to do this without fail before leaving the school." Std VIII student Chirag Jadhav said, "I am a member of the squad that patrols school taps the entire day. There are 20 students in the squad, from Std V-IX. We check taps in the morning – if they are open or leaking – and also before and after recess and end of the day."

Secretary of the Vidyanidhi Educational Complex, Dr Kitida Mehta, said, "We used to pay Rs 20,000 every month to get potable water tanker for the school. Now, this initiative is not just helping to save water but also creating awareness among children."

Chairman of Vidyanidhi Educational Complex, Sanjeev Mantri, said, "This initiative is a continuation of the Clean India mission. The initiative will bring discipline among children and make them responsible citizens."

"To encourage students, the school makes them take an oath every day. The students in the squad, which takes care of leaking taps, have been given badges to put on their uniforms. We also make sure the students store water from their bottles in the camel water bank and don't throw it out while going home," said principal Priyanka Rajani.