Children between 12 to 14 years today joined hands to reclaim a piece of forestland, that degenerated into a dumping ground over the years, in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area, adjoining the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
The initiative, taken by the the NGO Panchavati Green Movement, was launched by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Environment Minister Imran Hussain here. The forestland forms part of the city's Southern Ridge, considered as Delhi's lungs.
"This forest is currently being used as a dumping ground for garbage and debris. Besides, the dust emanating from the forest is damaging the lungs of millions of children in Delhi and these children from nearby schools are motivated about this new campaign to save the environment," Delhi government said in a statement.
The Delhi High Court recently directed Delhi government to place before it data of 1996 with regard to forest cover as it had existed then in the national capital and the current position. It directed the government to file the data and reports within six weeks.
