Gurugram government schools are set to establish kitchen gardens to cultivate vegetables and fruits for midday meals, following directives from the education department, officials said.
Schools with limited space have been encouraged to adopt rooftop gardening using pots and containers to ensure students receive nutritious, homegrown food, they added, stated a report by the Hindustan Times.
At present, there are 366 government schools in the district, benefiting around 1,66,000 students under the midday meal scheme.
Further, officials have mandated that schools adhere strictly to the prescribed menu, reducing reliance on outsourced vegetables. Non-compliance will result in departmental action against school heads and midday meal in-charges, they stressed.
The initiative is designed to equip students, from Classes I to VIII, with sustainable farming skills, fostering self-sufficiency and environmental responsibility, district education officials said, adding that the budget and other guidelines are currently being ironed out.
As a part of the initiative, students will cultivate small plants such as herbs, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and strawberries in available spaces, including terraces, entrance areas, or along school walls, they added.
To address space constraints, the district education department has proposed “container gardening,” allowing urban schools to grow plants in repurposed containers, reducing the need for large open spaces.
Muni Ram, District Elementary Education Officer, said, “Students will learn that a large plot of land is not essential for growing vegetables and fruits. They can use discarded containers, turning organic waste like kitchen scraps into compost. Additionally, carefully selected plants can help cool the school environment, which is particularly beneficial in hotter regions.”
According to officials, schools will also integrate this initiative into eco-club activities, encouraging students to identify locally suited plants and implement innovative irrigation techniques, such as drip irrigation.
Experts, including local farmers, may be invited to guide students on sustainable gardening practices, they said, adding that the schools will have to manage additional staff or training of existing ones on their own.
