Two Odisha schools win Wipro earthian Awards 2025 for inclusive, hands-on water conservation projects promoting sustainability education
OdishaPlus Bureau
Two schools from Odisha have been named among the winners of the Wipro earthian Awards 2025, presented at the 15th edition of the annual sustainability program hosted by Wipro Limited at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.
The Wipro earthian program, which promotes integrated sustainability education across schools and colleges in India, received over 2,000 submissions this year. An independent jury selected 25 winning teams for their thoughtful and hands-on engagement with key environmental themes such as water, waste, and biodiversity.
Louis Braille School for the Blind, Bhubaneswar, was recognized for its inclusive and innovative water-audit project. The student team mapped the school’s water-storage and usage systems and identified that girls’ toilets accounted for the highest water consumption. Through interviews with a well-digger, a farmer, and community members, the students explored local water-depletion issues and emphasized the importance of clean water and conservation.
The project stood out for its accessibility-driven approach, including the creation of a tactile school map using wool, cardboard, and clay, a simple water-purification model, and the use of talking calculators and NVDA screen readers for data analysis. Tactile posters supported a student-led awareness campaign, making the initiative both impactful and inclusive.
Similarly, Ravindra Vidya Niketan, Keonjhar, earned recognition for a comprehensive water-conservation study conducted on its school campus. Students analyzed water-use patterns, identified leakage points, and explored practical ways to reduce consumption through systematic measurement and data analysis. The team engaged with school authorities, municipal officials, water-treatment staff, gardeners, plumbers, and support staff to understand real-world water-management challenges.
Certificates and cash prizes were presented to the winning teams by Anurag Behar, Chief Executive Officer, Azim Premji Foundation, and Narayan P. S., Global Head of Sustainability and Societal Initiatives, Wipro Limited, and Managing Trustee, Wipro Foundation.