Odagaon: Throwing away of left-over foods at marriage mandaps, get together venues and even at schools has been a common practice. Eco Club of Giridipalli UP School under Kural cluster and Nathiapalli project UP School under Odagaon tehsil in Nayagarh district though has found a way to reuse the left-over items. The club set an example by giving those foods to animals and birds.
These schools have specific cement pindis and drinking water pots. After having their meals, the students and the mid day meal cooks pile up the left-over food on these pindis from where animals and birds eat. “Earlier we used to throw away our left-over foods. Now it gives immense pleasure seeing animals and birds having their foods from the pindi,” observed some students of Giridipalli UP School, adding, “The idea of offering left-over foods to animals and birds under Jibe Daya (compassion for animals) programme was suggested by Antaryami Sahu, a retired teacher of Kantilo area.”
Antaryami Sahu, best known as ‘gachha sir’, has started this drive under Jibe Daya programme. He has been visiting schools and advising teachers and school management committees to earmark a place on their school premises to get a cement pindi constructed there. He also asks them to keep a pot of drinking water near the pindis.
According to Sahu, every day huge quantities of food are getting wasted at educational institutions. Jibe Daya programme would not only save these foods from getting waste but also inculcate a sense of compassion for animals and birds amongst the students.
An environmentalist, Sahu has been visiting schools in Kural and Bahadajhola areas on his bicycle and creating awareness among the students on how the left-over foods can be utilised best by feeding hungry animals and birds. “I have so far talked to over one thousand students, making them aware of how advantageous Jibe Daya programme is,” Sahu boasts.
By introducing the programme in their schools, Giridipalli UP School and Nathiapalli project UP School are also having another benefit. It has helped keep the institutions’ premises clean.
He has requested the state government to issue a directive in this regard so that left-over foods which would otherwise be thrown away can feed some animals and birds.
Sahu is also known for his campaign for sparrow preservation. He has been visiting villages, demonstrating the villagers on how sparrow nests can be built on trees and housetops.
PNN
