Earth Day is observed across the globe today and this year’s major highlight is focus on climate change. The capital is geared up to mark the day with various events and campaigns around the theme. The green crusaders of the city reveal how they are doing their bit to support and promote the environmental causes throughout the year.
Once known as Delhi’s lifeline, the river Yamuna is currently in a deplorable state and many NGOs and organisations are working towards the betterment of the water body. Deeksha Bhatia, project co-coordinator at Swechha We for Change Foundation, mentions, “Throughout the year we organise many activities that involve youngsters from the city. We are planning to revise our Yamuna project and do a Yamuna yatra right from the origin of the river. Recently, we conducted the ‘Spotted.Stop it’ project, which was a social and environmental campaign to stop the urban waste. We also have a year long ‘Clean-o-carnival’ that happens in various parts of the capital to clean the community area.”
Similarly, at a recently conducted activity many city school children collected cartons for recycling. Jaideep Gokhale, communication and environment director, Tetra Pak India, who organsied this event, mentions, “All through the year we urge around 2,000,000 students in six cities of India to collect waste cartons. This project is called ‘Project Search’. We collect waste cartons and reuse them to make furniture and stationery for underprivileged children, thereby recycling the trash. This time we invited actress Kalki to spread awareness about the environment for this event.”
To celebrate Earth Day, Select Citywalk mall in Saket will be lit up in green and have various activities throughout the day to spread awareness about the environment — through songs, dance and flash mobs around the theme. Arjun Sharma, director Select Citywalk, informs, “If we do not take necessary steps to protect nature now, soon we will be heading towards a future that doesn’t exist. The motto that we are promoting this year is — Tomorrow’s earth is today’s responsibility.” An art installation built from e-waste and mall scrap will also be put up at the mall to spread the message. Scrap artist Arun Verma, who has created the installation titled Metalmorphosis, reveals, “We want to promote the idea for transformation and sustenance. The raw material was 300 kg of scrap metal collected from the malls and it was transformed into almost 600 sq ft of art. A set of five installations in the form of butterflies is placed across the venue to signify evolution, growth, change and transformation.”
