Students fight to save earthworms

Kottayam: While opposition to the Kasturirangan report on conservation of the Western Ghats is growing in the state, five students of a school in Idukki district are working hard to demonstrate how important it is to protect the environment.

Five class VIIII students of the St Thomas school, Thudanganadu, near Thodupuzha, are doing a research project on the harmful effects of discarded batteries on earthworms, other organisms and people. Using experiments they intend to to show that the cadmium, mercury, zinc, and lead contained in the batteries lie dormant on the surface of the earth and cause great harm to the environment in the long term. The data they collect will be presented in a paper at the National Child Science Congress to be held in Bhopal from December 27 to 31.

Besides detailing the harmful effects of discarded batteries, the students' paper will also make a case for promoting reusable batteries, and recharging batteries as alternatives to the batteries now in use at the Congress which is this year focusing on, “Finding energy, using it and protecting it.” .

"The teachers only helped the students in conducting the experiments in school. The subject was chosen by the students themselves,” says Mr Manoj Sebastian, a teacher at St. Thomas.

While five students, Tom Gladin Jose, Mathew Alen Jose, Aswathy David, Aswathy Kunjappan and Blessy Bobby are working on the project, only the team leader, Tom will present the paper at the science meet.

Students of St Thomas school have been chosen to present research papers at the National Child Science Congress for the third consecutive year. Last year the students had focused on dust pollution from metal crushers. In all 16 team from various schools in the state are participating in the congress at Bhopal.