Earth Day 2009 at Chacha Nehru’s House
Moving the Earth….on her Day!
(Launch of Green Generation Youth & Delhi Environment Action Network)
Earth Day 2009 was celebrated today by Development Alternatives (DA), Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) and the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) at the NMML with much energy and enthusiasm. Over 300 school children participated from over 20 schools that made the entire NMML come to life. Earth Day caps and T-shirts were distributed to students upon their arrival at the NMML and they were each given a group number. After a brief welcome address in the auditorium, the children were introduced to their group coordinators who took them to a pre-decided place, to carry out the respective activity that had been chosen by children.
Everything from Nature Craft, Nature Painting, Making newspaper bags, Pottery, learning the Charkha to jingle making were the range of activities that the children were involved and engaged with. Each group came up with innovative and unique ideas and put them to use in order to make something useful and in the process, gave expression to their creativity. The groups were visited by Mr. George Varghese, President of Development Alternatives, Ms. Usha Srinivasan, Chief Coordinator of the Clean India Programme of DA and a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) who was also the Chief Guest for the day.
The school children then reassembled in the auditorium. The stage was managed by Ms. Usha Srinivasan who called upon Professor Mridula Mukherjee, Director, NMML, Mr. George and the Chief Guest to give a short speech to inspire the children. Ms. Srinivasan also announced the launch of the Green Generation Youth campaign and the Carbon Footprint calculator CD. The day concluded with each student group presenting their creation, and with a musical concert by the children themed on Green Generation Youth!
The day also marked the the launch of the Delhi Environment Action Network (Delhi-EAN) by Govind Singh of Delhi Greens and Padmavati Dwivedi of Compassionate Living as a Network of concerned citizens of Delhi and the various civil society organisations based or working in Delhi. A programme of the Development Alternatives, the Network is being revived by various civil society groups and citizens of Delhi, as a strong need for such a platform has now arisen and as a response to the onslaught on the trees of Delhi, the dying status of river Yamuna, the polythene and waste mess in the city, and the transport and mobility crisis.
The Delhi-EAN will carry out well researched green actions from time to time, that it feels are necessary in the best interest of the city. The Network will share useful information, court hearings, environmental laws, notifications, acts etc. pertaining to Delhi and its environment. In addition, the Delhi-EAN will collect, share and distribute resources, contacts, skills and knowledge with an underlying objective of a clean and green National Capital Territory.
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