World Environment Day celebrations

The environment is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is the one thing all of us share. World Environment Day is celebrated annually on 5th June. This year, the 50th World Environment Day programme was observed as 'paryavaran sammelan', organised by the  Delhi government at the Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi. The theme for the year 2023 is 'Beat the Plastic'. The main aim of the event was to increase awareness among students about the importance of environment and the need to protect it.

Two students, from classes 8 and 9 of The Indian school- Second Shift,  got the opportunity to be the part of the programme accompanied by teachers, Ms Neha Sharma and Ms Neha Yadav. The programme started at 11 AM. The gathering consisted of school teachers and students from over 2000 eco clubs of schools across the city, forest guards, government officials and members of RWAs. The chief guests at the event were the chief minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal and the environment and the forest minister of Delhi, Shri Gopal Rai.

The programme began with a song dedicated to the environment, followed by a street play to raise awareness about the pollution caused by plastic. A short film on environment was also screened. The gathering was then addressed by the chief minister. He informed the assembly that the  pollution levels have dipped in the city in the last 8 years despite the swift pace of development and the construction of schools, hospitals and flyovers across the city. The government has also successfully been able to implement the 'Yuddh Pradushan Ke Viruddh' campaign. The chief minister urged everyone gathered, to take a pledge to clean and protect the environment of Delhi. The environment minister announced that the government plans to extend the campaign to every corner of Delhi in collaboration with eco clubs, RWAs, religious institutions and traders association by organising similar 'paryavaran sammelan' events to promote environmental awareness among the masses. The people who have been actively involved in working for the betterment of the environment were also felicitated on the occasion. All the students and teachers were presented a sapling, a jute bag, a t-shirt, a cap and  refreshment. The programme concluded with the national anthem.

It was an illuminating event and the audience were reminded that their actions matter. It was great to see a lot of enthusiasm among the students. They got a wider understanding of how the use of plastic harms our environment, disturbs food chain and ultimately disbalances the eco-system. They were also introduced to novel ways to tackle plastic pollution and to different substitutes that can be used as an alternative for plastic. The students not only got a good exposure but also got sensitised towards the need of the hour, which is to eliminate the use of plastic and save environment.