The college has adopted the “Green Campus Clean Campus” system for environmental conservation and sustainability as MDG and SDG also aim for sustainable development and educational institutions have to play a vital role to achieve these goals. The college aims to manage efficient use of energy, water, waste and to reduce CO2 level while creating an atmosphere where students can learn to be eco sensitive and healthy. The ‘Green Campus’ initative has been active for last many years by different committees like (Green campus committee, Eco Task Force, Geography, B.Ed. Environment Club, Rotoract Club and Individual department, students and staff members) that actively promote the various activities and projects. The college administration works on the several facets of ‘Green and Clean Campus’ including Water Conservation, Tree Plantation, Waste Management, Paperless Work, Alternative Energy and Mapping of Biodiversity.
Water scarcity is one of the growing concerns of the present days and the only solution for which is water conservation. Water conservation is implemented in the college campus through rain water harvesting, tree plantation and many more. The college has set-up the rain harvesting unit in different buildings within the college campus. Rain water harvesting is an important environment friendly approach and is a regular green practice that gives two benefits such as keeping the groundwater level undisturbed and charging the aquifer. Rain water harvesting can save the earth from soil erosion and flood, and recharge the aquifers to increase the groundwater level. Rainwater harvesting is eco-friendly and economical. The cost of digging a catchment area can be saved by roof-top collection of rainwater. The catchments and settlement tanks reduce the ground heat and act as a natural cooler. The best part of the practice of rainwater harvesting is that it is collected in the campus ponds thus charging the aquifer.
St. Xavier’s College has a fully functional rain-water harvesting system in the college campus. The college collects a substantial amount of water through Rain Water Harvesting to recharge the groundwater level. This is the only way of recharging water sources and vitalizing open wells in the college campus. Moreover, the college encourages various programmes to spread awareness of such environmentally friendly practices.
Biogas plant is installed to generate fuel for the kitchen use for one of the hostel's building, where about 60 students of the college stay and do their studies. The biogas plant aims at addressing the issue of disposal of waste from the hostels and canteens of the campus in an eco-friendly manner. Biogas production kills two birds with one stone as it reduces waste and produces energy. St. Xavier’s College has taken an initiative and sets up biogas plant to process hostels and canteens waste by understanding the today's need of saving of energy. It is a renewable energy source and, in many cases, exerts a very small carbon footprint and thus it is clean and efficient.
The produced biogas is utilized for cooking purpose in the hostel which can reduce our dependency on fossil resources such as coal, oil and natural gas, and also waste materials can be dispose off efficiently without any odour of flies.
As part of Green Campus Initiatives to make the college a sustainable and environmental friendly institution SXC has installed 100kb solar power plant on the roof top of main building. It is truly a significant milestone. It generates electric power that is used in house electric needs. The power generated during holidays, Sundays and also excess power during working days is supplied to the electricity department.
The objective of installing the solar plant in the college campus is to reduce usage of conventional sources of energy and introducing non-conventional source of energy in academic practices, which can motivate student’s community for practicing the same in their day-to-day life.
Five solar LED street lights have also been installed in the college campus which gives light during night.
As we know the segregation of waste is the most important component of waste management system. Waste generated on the college campus is segregated as a solid waste, liquid waste and e-waste. The college has installed Blue and Green coloured dustbins at all the potential places inside and outside the buildings to collect solid and liquid waste.
The total solid waste collected in the campus is 110 Kg/day. Waste generation from tree droppings is a major solid waste generated in the campus. Fallen leaves are collected separately. There is a waste dumping yard where segregated wastes are disposed. Some of them are cleaned by the municipalty. College has a composter machine to recycle waste. Food waste is given to piggery. Some food waste, fallen leaves and vegetable waste are recycled using machine or by vermicomposting method in the campus itself. After complete process of vermicomposting, it is used as manure in the garden. Awareness program among farmers is also conducted in the village nearby.
Single sided used papers reused for writing and printing in all departments. Important and confidential reports/ papers are sent for pulping and recycling after completion of their preservation period. Very less plastic waste mainly plastic water bottles (2 kg/day) are generated by some departments, office, canteen etc. They are separated and given to kabadiwalas. Metal waste and wooden waste is stored and given to authorized scrap agents for further processing. Some glass bottles are reused in the laboratories.
The liquid waste generated in the campus includes effluents from hostels and academic laboratories. Segregation of chemical waste generated in the science laboratories especially in the chemistry lab is passed through concealed pipe line into soak pit where chemical waste gets neutralised. Waste water from the water filter plant is also used for watering the plants and non-potable usages.
e-waste generated in the campus is very less in quantity. The cartridges of laser printers are refilled outside the college campus. Administration conducts the awareness programmes regarding e-Waste Management with the help of various departments. The e-waste and defective item from computer laboratory such as monitor, printer, motherboard, laptop, xerox machine etc. is being stored properly. e-Waste is given to some approved e-Waste Management groups for proper disposal and recycle.
Campus is located in the vicinity of approximately 75 types (species) trees. Various tree plantation programs are being organized during the month of July and August at college campus and surrounding villages through NSS, Eco Task Force, Retroact club and various departments. This program helps in encouraging eco-friendly environment which provides pure oxygen within the institute and awareness among villagers. The plantation program includes various types of indigenous species of ornamental and medicinal wild plant species. College also has green house. There are about 25 species of birds in the campus.
The lush green premise embraces a variety of seasonal and annual flowers, foliage, ornamental and medicinal plants that make the open spaces and corridors rejuvenating.