Udupi, (The Hindu): The Government Higher Primary School, Kelarkalabettu, Santhekatte, bagged the district-level Parisara Mitra Award along with a cash prize of Rs.30,000 and a trophy here on Saturday.

Besides this, 20 other schools were given the Hasiru Parisara Mitra and Haladi Parisara Mitra awards at a function organised by the district administration, Department of Public Instruction, District Legal Services Authority, Karnataka State Science Council, and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, here.

As many as 185 schools had applied for the awards. The inspection team then shortlisted 30 schools on the basis of 10 parameters for the awards and then selected them. The Government Higher Primary School, Kelarkalabettu, performed well on these parameters and bagged the award.

School's gradual progress
Headmistress Sabitha told The Hindu that the school had gradually progressed to getting the award. In 2017, the school got Hasiru Parisara Mitra Prashasti and in 2015, it got Haladi Parisara Mitra Award. “We will continue with our efforts to adopt environment friendly and innovative measures by involving all students,” she said.

She said that the school had rainwater harvesting facility. It had e-learning kit which worked on solar power. Every classroom had a solar lamp. It had a good lab and library. The students had planted 157 saplings of fruits and vegetables, 50 medical plants on the school premises. The students collected soil from five different fields and submitted soil samples to the Farm Science Centre at Brahmavar for testing and later gave lab results to farmers on improving the fertility of soil, Ms. Sabhita said.

T. Venkatesh Naik, Principal District and Sessions judge, who gave away the awards, said climate change and global warming were posing a challenge to the world.Schools should give priority to educating students on environment protection, he said.