University of Jammu starts vertical green walls creation using waste plastic bottles under its Waste to Wonder initiative

Green Campus Task Force, University of Jammu (GCTF-JU) under its ‘Waste to Wonder’ initiatives towards Viksit Bharat@2047, organized “One-day Training Programme on Creating Green Walls/Vertical Gardens using Waste Plastic Bottles”. Hands-on training was provided by Mr. Rakesh, the vertical wall creation trainer, to around 80 GCTF-JU volunteers including the teachers in-charge, scholars, and students from different departments of the University. Pertinent to mention that GCTF-JU is university’s roadmap to develop sustainable campus through students’ participation. Prof. Piyush Malaviya, Convener, GCTF-JU and Head, Department of Environmental Sciences, formally welcomed the participants and stressed upon the need to create awareness among the students and use such innovative ideas to promote environmental conservation efforts. While interacting with the participants he said that reusing the waste plastic bottles which otherwise would have gone to waste disposal sites, ensures sustainable utilization of the waste material. ‘Such initiatives would lead to the substantial reduction in the amount of plastic waste generated apart from improving the aesthetics of the buildings’, he further added. The reuse and recycling of the waste material by students will further improve the already declared green campus of the university.

Dr. Deepika Slathia, Member Secretary GCTF-JU, discussed in detail the concept, creation, and importance of vertical green walls. ‘These green walls provide multidimensional benefits from air purification, noise reduction, water conservation, energy conservation to temperature reduction of the building’, she emphasized, while introducing the objectives of the training programme. ‘Involvement of students in creations of such walls in the University will inculcate in them a sense of belongingness and they will become more environmental conscious,’ she added. Those present among others included Dr. Ravinder, Dr. Ranjan Sharma, Ms. Rozi Sharma and Mr. Ajmer Singh. The training was supported by Arboriculture and Landscaping Unit of University of Jammu. The participants including GCTF-JU volunteers from various Departments and their teachers in-charge highly appreciated the concept and the hands-on training experience and lauded the efforts taken by the Department of Environmental Sciences through GCTF-JU in adopting in-campus green and clean practices to make University of Jammu an environmentally sustainable university.