Page 67 - Shelter - April 2025

CASE STUDY

A survey conducted at the • Water Resilience and • Behavioural Change
time revealed that 46% of Sustainable Management and Capacity Building –
students were unaware of – Implemented rainwater Introduced theme-based
the importance of hygiene, harvesting, groundwater educational activities
and many were unfamiliar recharge, and decentralised on water conservation,
with the correct usage of wastewater treatment pollution awareness, and
WASH infrastructure. There systems (DEWATS) to sustainability. Revitalised
was no structured approach improve water availability, school environment clubs
to waste management, stormwater management, and student cabinets while
no trained personnel and water reuse while
available to maintain the ensuring low-maintenance conducting capacity-
infrastructure, and a distinct solutions for long-term building sessions for
absence of ownership among sustainability. teachers, sanitation staff,
both students and staff. and Parent-Teacher
Additionally, community • Waste Management and Associations to ensure
engagement in WASH-related Green Infrastructure active participation in
activities was minimal, with – Conducted waste school hygiene and
no awareness campaigns or audits, promoted environmental initiatives.
regular monitoring of hygiene waste segregation, and
practices being implemented. introduced composting C. Strategies Adopted for
techniques to manage Sustainability
The lack of proper water organic waste effectively.
and sanitation infrastructure Green initiatives such as To ensure the long-term
significantly limited green tree plantations, green impact of the project, various
spaces, while the absence of roofs, kitchen gardens, and sustainability strategies
awareness among students urban farming campaigns were implemented. One of
and staff created serious were undertaken to the key approaches was the
challenges in establishing a enhance environmental formation and regularisation
healthy and resilient school sustainability. of class cabinets, managed
environment. Addressing by school staff, to instil a
these critical gaps through • Infrastructure Upgradation sense of responsibility among
infrastructure upgrades, and Hygiene Facilities – students. Additionally, an
improved waste management Repaired and upgraded operation and maintenance
solutions, and behavioural child and gender-friendly committee was established
change initiatives was toilets, drinking water to oversee the upkeep of
essential for enhancing overall platforms, handwashing the WASH infrastructure,
school resilience and ensuring stations, and sanitation ensuring its functionality
a safe and sustainable learning infrastructure. Improved over time.
space for students. school aesthetics through Capacity-building played

B. Interventions landscaping, play a crucial role in sustaining
areas, and interactive the interventions. Training
The project implemented spaces while addressing sessions were conducted for
key interventions to enhance crumbling infrastructure
the school environment. The issues like roofs, boundary key stakeholders, including
following measures were walls, and classroom School Management
Committee (SMC) members,
undertaken in both schools: interiors. staff, parents, and students,

April, 2025, Volume 26. No.1 - SHELTER 65