Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, has over 600 trees, an equal number of potted plants and more than 70 species of medicinal plants in and around it. And the credit goes to the school’s eco club.

Established in 1996 with a handful of saplings, the club has consistently worked to improve the school’s green cover.

And this was done through innovative ways—gifting saplings to students on their birthdays, urging them and teachers to plant trees on special occasions, and roping in parents in the initiative.

The club is the brainchild of the school’s former principal, R S Goraya, who stressed on the significance of a healthy environment.

“The objective behind the concept is to create awareness among students about a clean and green environment. Our indifference towards nature is the cause of calamities like floods, earthquakes and depletion of the ozone layer. Our idea is to catch them young and involve them in tree plantation,” Om Prakash Manauli, head of the eco club, says.

The club started with a few students from the middle section, but now has the entire school rallying behind it.

Manauli says now students volunteer to plant trees. “We have also involved parents in the initiative. They visit the school once a month and either donate or plant a sapling,” he says.

Ekta, a Class XI student associated with the club for the last three years, says: “Initially, it was difficult as students were not very enthusiastic, but now they are happy to give time to the club.”

“We have made a lily pond and a natural trail along the school boundary. This has not only made the campus more pleasant but sensitised students towards the beauty and bounty of nature,” says Sudesh Raghav, the school principal.

The club has also branched out to other environment issues. A rainwater harvesting pit has been constructed in the school to conserve water.

Besides, students have worked on different kinds of vermicompost units using dry leaves, grass, vegetable and fruit peels.

The club has also encouraged the use of bicycles as an alternate mode of transport.

These initiatives have brought laurels too. The club has been honoured as the Best Eco Club in the city for two consecutive years in 2006-07 and 2007-08. The school also received a certificate of merit for five years by the Administration, making it the only government school among over 100 to be honoured so.