INTRODUCTION

Environmental Sustainability & Green Audit

The demands of modernization, globalization and industrialization have led to adverse effects over natural resources, forests and wildlife. Issues like global warming, green house effects, ozone depletion, climate change, change in weather patterns etc have made man conscious of the need to address issues which are confronting the globe.

Udalguri College has adopted the Green Campus, Clean Campus, initiative introduced by the University Grants Commission and the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan as part of the clarion call of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, thereby being more responsible towards environmental sustainability.

As we know Green Audit can be defined as systemic identification, quantification, recording, reporting and analysis of components of environmental diversity. Green Audit aims to analyze environmental practices within and outside the College campus, which will have an impact on the eco-friendly ambiance. As Udalguri College have involved the student community in various activities of the Green Audit especially ‘Green Initiatives’, its primary knowledge for the student community how to maintain the campus or the area eco-friendly and congenial for our habitation.

For a conducive learning, a clean and healthy environment is very necessary. Educational institutions have both positive and negative impacts on the environment on the campus of an institute. Every year, on the 5^th of June, we celebrate “World Environment Day” to aware people to save our environment so that the ecosystems remain in a balanced state. We all know that during Photosynthesis, Oxygen gas is released into the atmosphere which is required for the survival of plants and animals. Therefore, the campus of an institute should contain enough trees and other plants so that our surroundings remain free from any harmful components. Many eco-systems exist in the college campus which are inter-related. To maintain a balance among these ecosystems, teachers as well as students must take responsibility for making a healthy environment.

To save the environment from pollution, a Green Audit is necessary for every institute. Our students are our future so we have to engage them to save our environment by giving them environmental education through a systematic management approach. It is necessary to detect the problems creating a threat to the environment. Diagnosis is required to eliminate these problems. We have to manage unwanted residues present within the campus to reduce the impact on the environment. The plastics and other residues present within the College Campus should be recycled. Awareness programmes among the common people should be a part of an institution. At the same time, we should take care of the flora and fauna present within the college campus as well as in the surrounding area which play an important role in balancing an equilibrium in the ecosystems.

1.2. Need of Green Audit

Green Audit is the mechanism of identification, documentation and monitoring of vital aspects related to the environment. An institution’s accountability in relation to energy, water resources, solid and hazardous waste get highlighted in the process of Green Audit which leads to ecological awareness and sensitization regarding the values and ethics related to the environment. It leads to judicious use of the resources thereby highlighting the social responsibility that institutions have.

1.3. Objectives:

The objective of the Green Audit related to Udalguri College are as follows:

• Identification, documentation of green practices and analyze of environmental issues related to the College.
• To examine those practices which can adversely impact the environment such as waste management and resource utilization.
• To collect baseline data related to environmental parameters.
• Identify environmental risks, strengths and weaknesses in green practices.
• Analyze and provide solutions for the problems noticed.
• To promote sustainable practices and optimal use of resources among the stakeholders.
• To prepare a roadmap for Green practices in the College Campus.

1.4. Criteria 7 of NAAC Assessment & Green Audit

Green Audit has become a mandatory practice for assessment of an institution by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). It comes under Criteria 7 of the Self Study Report (SSR). Parameters such as water quality, energy practices, waste management, air and noise monitoring come under its purview. The goal of the Green Audit is to upgrade environmental condition in and around the College campus.

Inculcating good green practices among students shall certainly lead to positive results in the near future because these students are the future citizens of the nation. Plantation drives, proper caring of the saplings planted, cleanliness drives, rain water harvesting, good waste practices etc. certainly go a long way in giving a positive message which Udalguri College has been actively pursuing.

1.5. Advantages of Green Audit:

Green Audit involves the following advantages:

• Promoting good environmental, energy and waste management practices.
• Promoting greenness around the College campus.
• Adding cost saving mechanism through energy conservation.
• To minimize the use of plastic in the College campus.
• To educate the stake holders on good environmental practices and ethics related to the same.

1.6 A Brief Introduction about the Auditors:

The Audit has been conducted by three premier institutions namely the District Forest Office, Udalguri, for Environment Audit; the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Udalguri, for Water and Waste Audit; and the Assam Power Distribution Ltd (APDCL), Udalguri for Energy Audit. The team members being experts in the reputed field were helped in data collection by the Departments of the College namely Botany, Physics and Chemistry.