On the initiative of DDA, 100 school children of Prerna School from Moti Bagh, run by IAS Officers’ Wives Association, visited the Yamuna Bio-diversity Park with a view to getting education on the subject of environment, ecology and nature.In its promotion activities, it extended the invitation to the poor children, orphanages and such institutions to educate children of all strata.
It may be mentioned that Delhi Development Authority in its effort to promote environmental education and nature conservation, invites school children and college students to the Bio-diversity Parks and in Aravali Bio-diversity Park, the facility of camping/overnight stay has also been provided.
Delhi Development Authority has launched the establishment of network of Biodiversity Parks in collaboration with the University of Delhi. The concept of Biodiversity Park was first evolved in Delhi and implemented by DDA. It has already notified six biodiversity parks, of which two — Yamuna and Aravali biodiversity parks — are fully functional and became Nature Reserves of Delhi. They are unique urban landscapes that preserve the natural heritage including vanishing flora and fauna. Yamuna and Aravali Biodiversity Parks have already been providing ecological services to the city of Delhi such as buffering the local weather, recharging ground water, trapping dust, sequestering carbon dioxide and assimilating pollutants, besides serving as a habitat for a range of plant and animal including migratory birds.
It is evident that the increasing pollution load in the city of Delhi has deteriorated the quality of life. For example the high levels of SPM and other air pollutants have resulted in high incidence of respiratory and heart problems among Delhi citizens. The drinking water has become not only a major crisis in Delhi, but also the ground water is rapidly depleting and polluted. The two major landforms of Delhi — river Yamuna and Delhi Ridge have lost their life supporting potentials. In such scenario, there is need to raise awareness among people towards nature conservation and the goods and services provided by natural ecosystems. It is essential to bring school students as a part of nature conservation movement. They not only understand the environmental basics and related issues but inculcate quality environmental practices to promote elders to follow.