SVU launches litter-free campus initiative

Tirupati: In an effort to make campus free from litter, the Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) has taken up Wealth Out of Waste (WOW) project with the active involvement of students and professors.

As part of the initiative, the SVU entered into an agreement with the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) and Academy of Gandhian Studies (AGS) Trust.

The ITC and AGC jointly will train around 8,000 students, teachers and non-teaching staff of the university on collection and segregation of waste, and maintenance of cleanliness in the campus.

The ITC will provide dustbins and waste collection bags to students. The ITC-AGS representatives will educate the students in general and departments concerned in particular on the aspects of the waste management and recycling waste. Besides, the ITC will provide technical support to the university in management of liquid and bio-waste and earning an additional income while managing waste in the campus.

The purpose of WOW project was to make the university a litter-free zone, to provide an opportunity to students of social work and population studies and giving a chance to students to work as volunteers.

ITC-AGC’s WOW project not only creates awareness among the people about the advantages of the reduce-reuse-recycle process of waste to protect the environment and also generates cost effective raw materials for the paper, plastic, metal and glass industries.

The initiative which started in a small way among households has now spread to schools, colleges and universities. The WOW initiative which commenced in 2007 with an average monthly collection of 100 tonnes has now spread across South India in a big way.

The ITC representatives will pay the nominal money to students soon after they supply dry litter. If not cash, the ITC will provide stationary like white papers and others materials to students.

As part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the ITC is going to start waste recycle units at various places in the city. The waste collected will be transported to nearest recycle units. Speaking to The Hans India, SVU Vice-Chancellor A Damodram said that the university has entered into an agreement with ITC and AGC to create awareness among students about cleanliness and give them the responsibility of waste collection in campus.

He further said that campus generates around 3 to 5 tonnes of waste every day. “Waste will generate wealth through recycling of bio-fertilisers and dry waste makes other useful products,” the VC added.