Sustainable Nitte

LIFE ON LAND

INTRODUCTION                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Green cover is important for sustaining life on Earth by providing essential ecosystem services such as oxygen production, carbon sequestration, water regulation, and habitat for countless species. Deforestation, poaching, forest fires, and other factors can disrupt this delicate balance and have far-reaching environmental and socio-economic impacts. By focusing on actions to protect and restore forests, manage ecosystems sustainably, and combat desertification, universities like Nitte (DU) contribute significantly to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Universities play a crucial role in advancing sustainable development goals in several significant ways by promoting environmental awareness, conducting research, and implementing practical solutions for conservation and sustainability. The initiatives taken by Nitte (DU) serve as an example of how educational institutions can lead by example and engage their community in efforts to protect and restore the environment. By raising awareness among students, faculty, and the broader community, universities can inspire positive change and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Nitte (DU) sustainable campus development project

Nitte University Green Initiative Project: The committee was constituted and the first meeting was conducted on 30 May 2017. The committee chairman is the Honourable Vice-Chancellor. Other members are the Registrar, HOIs, NSS officers, Purchase officer, Estate Manager,Faculty members from Constituent Institutions, and external experts such as Environmental Officers from the pollution control board and environmentalists. The Nitte University Green Initiative Project functions through a committee that forms NSS groups. The members collaborate with faculty and students to tirelessly work to preserve our sustainable ecosystem. Their mode of functioning includes creating awareness through outreach programs, Vruksha Bhandhan, planting a tree on your birthday, Vanamahotsava, Swachh Bharath, awareness programs, nature camps, organizing field trips: Ayurveda, and tree adoption programs to name a few.

Planting a sapling on a birthday

Planting a sapling on birthdays is a meaningful and eco-friendly way to celebrate his/her special day while contributing to the environment. It also leaves something memorable for the campus community and one can enjoy that excitement whenever one visits the campus later in life. Birthdays can be made memorable, and we can improve the biodiversity of the university campus. Behalf of the Nitte University Green Initiative Project (NUGIP) started “Plant a Tree on Your Birthday” on the KSHEMA campus for the teaching staff.

Regular planting drives are conducted to maintain a clean green campus. Reference made by the committee is employed in the new developmental plans of the University. The University campus holds regular air and water quality testing to confirm the availability of healthy water and air. The tests are conducted by an independent agency and validated. All parameters tested are well within the permissible limits. Thus, clean air and water supply are maintained on campus

Indoor plants

While indoor plants are not directly related to terrestrial ecosystems, they serve as a reminder of the importance of plant life and biodiversity. Universities can use indoor plants to educate students about the role of plants in maintaining life on land. AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences is on the University Campus. Although this campus has little green cover compared to Paneer or Medical College campus, they have a good practice that targets improving indoor air quality. Every common room has indoor plants which are well tended and provide healthy oxygen-rich air and reduce the carbondi- oxide released by the human occupants. The Institute has always supported the concept of Clean City Green City in college through various initiatives.

University Campus

Nitte University campus is spread over four sites, covering 150.49 acres. These beautiful campuses house diverse flora and fauna. Out of which, 90 bird species were recorded and surveys were submitted to www.ebird.org maintained by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850. Nitte University campus has approximately 1605 herbal plants, woody shrubs, and trees. It has been the result of a continuous ongoing tree-planting program. A tree audit was conducted over six months. GIS tagging of the entire population of trees on campus is attempted. Local trees have a good representation on the campus.

1. University administration and hospital campus
   
   
   
   It has a well-designed garden with several flowering trees, water fountains, and lawns. The quaint temple at the entrance also maintains a rose garden which adds cheer and colour to the hospital campus. The pathways are also offered with stone benches for resting under the floral canopy and enjoying the view of the water fountain.
2. Paneer Campus
   
   It is away from the hustle and bustle of traffic. It has the Nitte Gulabi Shetty Memorial Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Nitte Institute of Architecture, Nitte Institute of Communication, and Nitte Usha Institute of Nursing Sciences. New buildings have sky-lit open spaces inside the building for providing natural light. A football ground-sized playground with a lawn is maintained to support student sports activities on campus. The campus also has two well-maintained herbal gardens with a rich representation of native medicinal plants. This campus also houses the Girl’s hostel of the University, a centralized kitchen, and a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). 24% of the Paneer campus has a green cover that houses 725 trees and woody shrubs.
   
   
   
   
3. KSHEMA Campus and Hostels
   
   
   
   This campus has the K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy, a well-equipped gymnasium, and separate hostels for boys and girls. The Medical Academy building has large inner spaces. This internal quadrangle space provides fresh air and light. It even accommodates quaint indoor gardens, which enhances the ambience. The students avail themselves of a well-maintained football ground facility on the campus for their everyday recreational and sports activities. The avenues are lined with native flowering trees which support the bird and butterfly populations of the region. The campus also has a medicinal plants garden with trees and herbs used in plant-based medicines. The green cover extends to 24.3% of the campus, with 939 trees and woody shrubs.
4. New NU Campus
   
   India has pledged in the Paris Agreement 2015 to reduce emissions by 30-35% below the 2005 emission intensity of GDP by 2030. Hence
   
   
   
   aligning with the eight missions identified under the National Action Plan for Climate Change, the following fundamental concepts have been considered in the campus master planning process: Micro Climate Modifications, Efficient Water Cycle; Clean Energy; Ecological and Biodiversity Enhancement. All the strategies mentioned above are planned to work within a fabric of dedicated ecological niches, namely the bio-conservation island, forest corridors, riparian edges, and deeper water ecosystem. These niches aim to protect, enhance, and develop a rich and self-sustaining ecosystem that plays a small but crucial role in regional and global carbon sequestration.
   
   
   
   

NITTE (DU) Green Audit

The Nitte University campus was assessed for the biodiversity of birds, trees, amphibians, and butterflies, and the findings are as follows. Ninety-three species of birds were spotted and recorded on surveys conducted in 2020. A book of birds was published in 2020 that carries the QR codes for the audio sounds of the birds.

Butterflies are indicators of a balanced habitat. The presence of plants and shrubs has encouraged an excellent butterfly population on campus. These plants not only play a role in their diet but also are responsible for the completion of the life cycle of many of the detected species of butterflies. Nine were well documented.

The amphibian population of the Nitte University campus includes nine species of frogs, which were spotted in the moist, vegetationrich, undistributed regions of the campus. An extensive survey can help screen the amphibian population of the campus.

Nitte University campus has approximately 1932 herbal plants, woody shrubs, and trees which include a wide variety of local species endemic to the region. The plantation drive ensures that flowering trees are planted along the roads and avenues while fruit trees are planted along the boundary and behind the buildings.

Medicinal Gardens

The KSHEMA campus as well as the Paneer campus have medicinal gardens. A total of 125 medicinal plants are planted and cataloged for their scientific name, common name, medicinal uses, and major chemical components reported.

Programmes Conducted Birding Week at Nitte University Nitte University Green Initiative Project Committee (NUGIP) conducted a Birding Week from the 18th to the 21st of February 2022.

The event was inaugurated with a lecture on “Bird Watching” by Dr. Vineeth Kumar, Principal, Centre for Advanced Learning, Mangalore. He spoke on the importance of birds in our ecosystem and enlightened the audience on the key features of the birds used to identify them in the field.

Mr. Sudheendra Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Mangalore & Goa division was the Chief guest. He highlighted the diversity of birds in the Mangalore region and also spoke about the code of conduct for birding enthusiasts in the field while bird watching.

Prof. (Dr) Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, Vice Chancellor, Nitte DU presided over the function. He appreciated the University’s initiatives on green campus and also the active involvement of NUCSER in field-based studies of the campus.

Prof. (Dr) Anirban Chakraborty, Director, NUCSER welcomed the members and Prof. (Dr) Smitha Hegde, Member Secretary of NUGIP proposed the vote of thanks. The program was attended by 98 participants from the Green Brigade, sustainable developmental goal committee members, students, and staff of Nitte University.

76 species of birds spotted in Mangalore Campus of Nitte (DU) by Bird Enthusiasts

The Campus Bird Count 2022 was conducted in Nitte University`s Mangalore campus led by Nitte University Centre for Science Education & Research (NUCSER) from 18th to 21st February 2022. This year the birders recorded 76 species of birds on campus. Experts have projected the number to increase to 100+ species across various campuses of Nitte DU with various green initiatives undertaken by the University. The Campus Bird Count 2022 (CBC 2022) is a part & sub-event of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC has been organized regularly since 2015 by Bird Count India in collaboration with eBird (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology).

During the week-long bird count, researchers, doctors, professionals, professors, bird enthusiasts, and students of Nitte University conducted a systematic survey of birds on the Paneer and Deralakatte campuses. The recorded species include residential birds such as Whitecheeked Barbet, White-throated Kingfisher, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal, Common Myna, House Crows, Cattle Egret, Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Common Iora, Jungle Babbler, Black Drongo, Rock Pigeon, Red-whiskered Bulbul commonly seen in the campus and rare birds such as Redwattled Lapwing, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Roseringed Parakeets, Red-vented Bulbul, Common Kingfisher. Besides, the birders recorded some migratory birds & winter visitors such as the Purple Sunbird, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, and Indian Pitta. A few species of nocturnal birds such as the Indian Scops-Owl, Barn Owl, Indian Nightjar, and Jerdon’s Nightjar were also reported.

Ethnobotanical importance of Pteridophytes of Agumbe Ghats

Pteridophytes have a strong association with human civilization, culture, tradition, art, food, and medicines. Despite their socio-economic importance, they remain unexplored and neglected, largely due to meager information on location and availability. In the context of germplasm assessment and generation of an inventory of pteridophytes of the region, a survey was conducted at the Agumbe area in Shimoga of Karnataka. This study resulted in a collection of 20 species of pteridophytes belonging to 17 genera under 16 families.

Prof. Dr. Smitha Hegde, Division of Bioresource and Biotechnology, NUCSER, Nitte (Deemed to be University) in collaboration with Prof Dr. Suneetha C, Mr. Nagesha N, Prof. Dr. Kavitha Kandpal, Department of Horticulture, GKVK, Bangalore and Dr. Vinayaka Muttu from the Department of Horticulture, UAS, Hassan conducted this study. This survey contributes towards a taxonomically confirmed inventory of fern species of ethnobotanical importance and assists in providing basic IPR protection data for the germplasm of ferns. The work was published in the Indian Fern Journal, a journal of repute amongst peer pteridologists in India and abroad.

Nethravathi River and Environmental Protection Program, The Eighth Stage River Environmental Cleanup Movement and Wildlife Festival

On account of World Environment Day on June 5th, 2022, Swachh Sena of Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy participated in the ‘Nethravathi River and Environmental Protection Program, The Eighth Stage River Environmental Cleanup Movement and Wildlife Festival’ to signify the theme ‘Only One Earth’. The drive was carried out in collaboration with the River Environmental Protection Committee, local community organizations, Lions Club Permannuru, Ullal Solidarity forum, and the citizens of Uliya village Ullal. A total of 40 1st year BPT students participated in the event, along with NIPT Principal Dr. Dhanesh Kumar KU, faculty members Dr. Purushotham Chippala, Ms. Yogita Hatmode (Swachh Sena Coordinator, NIPT), and Swachh Sena NIPT Student Coordinator Ms Hass Isabella. The program began with the planting of trees in public places as part of the forest festival, and then volunteers were involved in cleaning the Nethravathi River backwater by removing thermocol, glass bottles, and plastic waste from the riverbeds, collecting them in the trash bags, and placing plastic and other deadly waste into garbage bags.

World Environment Day

1. NCC of NMAM Institute of Technology
   
   World Environment Day (observed on 5th June) was celebrated on 6th June 2022 by the 6 (Kar) Naval subunit, NCC of NMAM Institute of Technology at the Nitte campus.

   As part of this ceremony, the Chief Guest Mr. Ashok Adyanthaya along with Dr. Niranjan Chiplunkar, Principal, Dr. Shivaprasad Shetty, CTO, and cadets of NCC planted saplings on the campus. Dr. Chiplunkar addressed the cadets and commended the subunit for the initiatives taken by them to protect the environment. The event was successfully carried out with the active participation of the cadets.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. NUCSER
   
   As a part of the World Environment Day 2022 celebrations at the University, NUCSER in association with the Institution Innovation Council, Nitte DU and Sarvam Life organized an interactive session on 8th June 2022 for the farmers of this region with representatives from research institutes and cooperative societies on problems associated with Arecanut Farming.

A “Jatha” was organized to spread the message of the importance of saving water, soil, and energy and to create an awareness of global warming and climate change. About 250 students of the institute along with the faculty members of NUCSER and other constituent colleges participated in the march, which was led by Prof. Dr. Satheesh Kumar Bhandary, Vice Chancellor, Nitte DU.

The march was followed by a formal inauguration function. Sri T.G. Rajaram Bhat, President, Ammembala Seva Sahakari Sangha, Mudipu was the Chief guest of the day. He expressed his concerns about the escalating trend of indulging in excessive farming practices for immediate and short-term gain. He stressed the need to have sustainable agricultural practices meant to improve soil quality and reduce the incidence of diseases.

The formal function was followed by presentations and interaction with arecagrowing farmers where scientists from ICARCPCRI, Mr. Bhavishya, Senior Scientist, and Dr. KB Hebbar, Head, Plant Physiology, explained the role of microorganisms in soil fertility, reducing the usage of chemicals to prevent soil toxicity, and how accumulation of carbon-dioxide is contributing to the climate change and on the benefits of planting areca trees as they help in carbon sequestration thereby reducing atmospheric carbon. The representatives from cooperative societies - Mr. M. Mahesh Chowta, Director, CAMPCO, and agriculturists - Dr. Chandrashekar Chowta, Founder of Chowtara Krishi and Samskriti Vedike emphasized initiating processes towards afforestation & soil conservation and opined that till the farmers get equivalent income comparable to mainstream workers in different areas, it is unrealistic to expect the current generation to take up farming as a profession.

The final session was conducted by Sarvam Life, a for-profit organization that specializes in Regenerative Farming. The team presented the story of their project conducted at Anantapur District in Andhra Pradesh, where they successfully converted barren land into a fertile field through the concept of soil enrichment and permaculture that supported the growth of diverse varieties of fruits and vegetables. The team also conducted a live demonstration on how to enrich soil through an organic approach. The event was highly productive and beneficial with students, farmers, and academia deliberating on the pressing issues pertaining to climate change and its effect on the farmers’ livelihood.

NUCSER’s educational excursion to Kudremukh National Park

On the occasion of World Environment Day, 5th June 2022, NUCSER organized an educational excursion to Bhagavathi Nature Camp, Kudremukh National Park. The tour was conducted in collaboration with the Karnataka Forest Department, KNP division.

220 students and 10 faculty members participated in a jungle trail walk organized by the forest department followed by a formal function at the seminar hall of the nature camp. Mr. Ganapathi K, Deputy Conservator of Forests, KNP division welcomed the gathering and introduced the theme and context of the function. Mr. Prakash Netalkar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka Forest Department, Mangaluru was the chief guest. In his address, he encouraged the students to have more outdoor activities in their schedule and motivated the students to join hands with the forest department in their plantation drives and also attempt the IFS examinations and become forest department officers. The guest of honor, Prof. Dr. Niranjan N Chiplunkar Principal, NMAMIT, expressed his joy at being a part of the program and spoke about his childhood days that he spent in these areas. Prof. Dr. Anirban Chakraborty Director, NUCSER presided over the function and Prof. Dr. Smitha Hegde coordinated the trip and the formal event.

It was a great experience for the students to spend the day in a pure and pristine environment, away from the hustle and bustle of city life and they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

The NSS Unit of NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences organized “Swachhta Pakhwada” as a part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava” on 13th August 2022. The program was inaugurated at the college campus by Prof. Dr. C. S. Shastry, Principal, NGSMIPS. In his inaugural speech, Dr. Shastry explained the need to carry out a continuous cleanliness awareness drive in order to make people conscious of sanitation and hygiene and mitigate environmental pollution to facilitate healthy living. He asked all the participants to carry out swachhata abhiyaan on a regular basis and also spread awareness to as many people as possible. Dr. Santanu Saha, NSS Program Officer along with teaching and nonteaching staff joined the NSS volunteers to clean the campus and surrounding areas. At the end of the cleaning program, the collected waste was segregated and disposed of appropriately.

2. “vruQshaRashi” mobile application

The Department of Biotechnology Engineering in collaboration with the Department of MCA, NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte developed a mobile application named ‘vruQshaRashi’ under the guidance of Mr. Ananthamurthy, Assistant Professor, Department of MCA. This application can be used to scan the QR code given to each plant present in the NMAMIT campus and obtain a description of the plant. This will facilitate students and others to identify the trees and enhance their knowledge.

Dr. Niranjan Chiplunkar, Principal, NMAMIT launched the mobile application on 21st September 2022. Dr. I R Mithanthaya and Dr. Shrinivasa Rao BR (COE), Vice Principals of the institute, Dr. Ujwal P, Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Dr. Surendra Shetty, Professor & Head, Dept of MCA, Mr. Ananthamurthy, faculty and students of Biotechnology Engineering were present during the program.

3. Vanamahotsava to commemorate NSS Day

The NSS Unit of NGSM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences organized Vanamahotsava to observe NSS Day on 24th September 2022 at the college campus. Principal Prof. Dr. CS Shastry inaugurated the program. Planting a sapling, he explained the importance of the day and motivated the staff & students to actively participate and contribute to improving green cover and said that it should be a regular and willing activity and not a oncein- an-year affair. Teaching & non-teaching staff and students also planted saplings. Dr. Santanu Saha, NSS Program Officer, members of the NSS Unit, staff, and students attended the program.

Publications

1. Thekkeveedu RP, Hegde S. Physicochemical properties and homology studies of the floral meristem identity gene LFY in nonflowering and flowering plants. BioTechnologia (Pozn). 2022;103(2):113-129. doi: 10.5114/ bta.2022.116205.
2. Nayak S, Goveas LC, Kumar PS, Selvaraj R, Vinayagam R. Plant-mediated gold and silver nanoparticles as detectors of heavy metal contamination. Food Chem Toxicol. 2022;167:113271. doi: 10.1016/j. fct.2022.113271.
3. Apine E, Mani MK, Rai P, Karunasagar I, Turner LM. Future Climate Change Conditions May Compromise Metabolic Performance in Juveniles of the Mud Crab Scylla serrata. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering [Internet] 2022;10(5):582. doi: 10.3390/ jmse10050582
4. Paithankar JG, Ghodke TS, Patil RK. Insight into the evolutionary profile of radioresistance among insects having intrinsically evolved defense against radiation toxicity. Int J Radiat Biol. 2022;98(6):1012-1024. doi: 10.1080/09553002.2020.1859153.
5. Goveas LC, Nayak S, Vinayagam R, Loke Show P, Selvaraj R. Microalgal remediation and valorization of polluted wastewaters for zero-carbon circular bioeconomy. Bioresour Technol. 2022;365:128169. doi: 10.1016/j. biortech.2022.128169.
6. Upadhyaya V, Shankar M, Kumar N, Karinka S. Design and development of multipurpose power tiller gearbox for paddy cultivation. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;52:2148- 53.
7. Shetty SK, Bhat KS. Green supply chain management practices implementation and sustainability–A review. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022;52:735-40.
8. Shaik KA, Chandradhara GP. Soil structure interaction studies on Krishnaraja Sagara Bridge, Mysuru. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022 Jan 1;52:549-55.
9. Gururaja MP, Nidhi P Shetty, Himanshu Joshi. Attenuation of Experimentally Induced Anxiety by Panchagavya Ghrita in Mice. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology. 2022;15(11):4897-0. doi: 10.52711/0974-360X.2022.00822
10. Poojari K, Akhila DS, Mohan Raj JR, Santhosh KS, Kenjar A, Ashwath P. Biocontrol of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in poultry meat using phage cocktail. Iran J Vet Res. 2022;23(3):270-274. doi: 10.22099/ IJVR.2022.41490.6030.
11. Naik D, Rao RSP, Kunte K, Mustak MS. Seasonal dynamics and polyphenism of butterfly communities in the coastal plains of central Western Ghats, India. J Biosci. 2022;47:79.
12. Amrutha K, Shajikumar S, Warrier AK, Sebastian JG, Sali YA, Chandran T, Sivadas S, Naik R, Amrish VN, Kumar A, Unnikrishnan V. Assessment of pollution and risks associated with microplastics in the riverine sediments of the Western Ghats: a heritage site in southern India. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023;30(12):32301-32319. doi: 10.1007/ s11356-022-24437-z.

External Grant

Dr Akhila – NUCSER, Deciphering the pathogenicity of Zoonotic pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae obtained from fish, RGS-F/GRD No. 1061/2021-22/446 dated 15-03- 2023VGST Grant, Ongoing, 300000.

Internal Grant

Mr. Prakash K-NICO, The sociocultural studies of Cockfighting in Dakshina Kannada- A Documentary film, 60000, N/RG/ NUFR1/NICO /2022/02.

Dr. Smitha Hegde- NUCSER, An explorative study of Chitinase from pteridophytes, 110000, N/RG/NUFR2/ NUCSER/2022/03.