Teachers in Cooch Behar School start organic kitchen garden

Cooch Behar: In Vivekananda 5th Plan Primary School of Cooch Behar Block-I, teachers have come up with an organic kitchen garden in the school premises. Gourds, beans, and papayas grow in this garden during winter. These homegrown, nutritious vegetables are now integrated into the mid-day meals.

Moin Uddin Chishti, the teacher-in-charge, explained: “To enhance the nutritional content of the mid-day meals, we received an official directive to start a kitchen garden. Following this, we planted various vegetables, including pumpkins and brinjals during the rainy season, and added papaya trees in the monsoon. Now, with the onset of winter, the garden yields plentiful gourds and spinach. All these vegetables are used in the school’s mid-day meals, and we proudly avoid chemical fertilisers, relying solely on dung manure. Currently, the school has 65 students.” Teachers Jhuma Bhattacharya, Bina Poddar, and teacher-in-charge Moin Uddin Chishti oversee the entire process, from garden maintenance to tree planting. They express optimism that the garden will continue to thrive in the coming years.

With eight papaya trees, two bean trees, eight gourd trees, and various other vegetables, the nutrient garden has become a source of pride for the school.