"Be aware before it is too late"

Aastha Mittal, DPS, Vasant Kunj

This is what Aastha Mittal, a student of Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj had to say.  Are we really leading towards this? Would our future generation find a tree only in a museum?  Sounds scary? 

Well evidences are right here, this year Delhi has witnessed extreme climates – hottest summers with temperatures rising to alarming degrees, freezing winters, and pouring monsoons.  The reason being quite obvious and much spoken about, increased urbanization, decreased green cover …..

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.

Bill Vaughan

Trees are the most valuable natural renewable resource found on earth. Without them this world would be an inhospitable place to live in. Trees help life on earth by performing various functions one of them being influencing climate.  Trees absorb carbon dioxide without sufficient tree cover, the carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere is not utilized and resulting in extreme temperatures.  Trees also  help reduce noise and air pollution, trap dust,  reduces soil erosion, maintain productivity of soil, increase water holding capacity of soil, gives shelter, protection and food to birds, animals, insects and humans.  Trees supply raw material like rubber, gums and raisins, oils, etc. Wood is a major produce and is used extensively from paper, furniture to fuel. Trees buried deep in the earth billions of years ago have been converted to coal and oil.

Trees are the best monuments that a man can erect in his own memory.  They speak his praises without flattery, and they are blessings to children yet unborn. Lord Orrery, 1749

 While the regulatory agencies continue to play their role, as a citizen what one can do seems to be quite a lot.  It is with this mission Development Alternatives (DA) initiated Community Led Environment Action Network - CLEAN-India Programme: with a vision of cleaner environment for its towns and cities. CLEAN-India brings together interested citizens “who want to make the difference”.  The programme banks on children as the prime agents of change.  Starting from individual households to communities, villages and towns, they can make their voices heard, anxieties understood and concerns translated into action for a cleaner environment.

Under the CLEAN-India programme, apart from various other activities,  students are educated on different aspects of Tree Plantation. They learn about their characteristics, methods of planting and nurturing till the trees are fully grown.  There are over 250 species native to Delhi, but not more than 30 species are found growing commonly.  Awareness is created regarding different native tree species of Delhi and are encouraged to plant the same in their schools and neighbourhood.

This year with Delhi being blessed with pouring monsoons, CLEAN-India Students decided to encourage communities to join in their greening programme. This was followed by ascertaining the requirement of tree-planting in their neighbourhood communities with the help of the local residents.  They also interacted with the horticulture / forest department for procuring hardy and indigenous species. 

Communities were encouraged to join in nurturing the saplings as looking after the young plants till they are fully grown. It was overwhelming to find communities come forward and support the students.  And most importantly the Delhi Government gave all the required administrative support.  With the help of MCD, NDMC and DDA, CLEAN-India was successful in planting more than 200 trees in different localities of Delhi.   Everyone from a three year old to a 70 year old joined the movement. q

Someone’s sitting in the shade today because
someone planted a tree a long time ago 

- Warren Buffett