“Restore forests as they are the lungs of the Earth,”says Lieutenant Governor of Delhi

Forests are very essential for the survival of humanity as they provide a wide range of benefits, including ecological, social and economic. Lush green forests provide several resources that are useful to human beings. They even play a crucial role in dealing with climate change, conserving biodiversity and supporting the livelihood of people, residing near the forest zones. For instance, trees help in preventing landslides by holding the soil in place and lessening the force of rain on the ground.

But, over the years, due to population increase, humans are cutting down forests to create spaces for themselves. However, hardly, they are realising that they are contributing to massive disruption, jeopardising the ecosystem. Many flora and fauna are destroyed during this process of deforestation. Thus, to raise awareness about the importance of forests for the survival of humanity, International Forest Day is celebrated every year. On this day, countries are encouraged to organise various activities such as planting campaigns to promote sustainable forest management practices.

Marking the International Forest Day,  Garhi Mandu City Forest, Delhi, held an activity to further promote restoration of the forest by planting more and more trees.

Ms. Upasna Chopra, ECO Club Incharge of Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park enthusiastically participated at this event.

The occasion was graced by Mr Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate change; Mr Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi; Mr Manoj Tiwari, Member of Parliament of North East Delhi and Mr Gautam Gambhir, Member of Parliament of East Delhi.

During his address, ShriVinai Kumar Saxena emphasised, “It is imperative to restore forests, as they are the lungs of the Earth.” He also asked every individual to plant a tree and nourish it from time to time.

Meanwhile, Shri Bhupender Yadav opined, “Water bodies play a very important role in the lives of humans. It is the duty of each individual to take care of water bodies.” Further, he urged that each individual must play his/her role in preventing pollution of water bodies like Yamuna and help the authorities in cleaning the river by doing their bit.

While expressing her views, Ms Upasna said, “On the occasion of International Forest Day, I got the chance to attend the event as an Incharge of the Eco Club of our school. I would say it was a very good experience for me. The government took a great initiative to encourage the plantation for the betterment of our planet earth. As part of the event, we also planted trees to promote greenery.”

Towards the end of the event, trees were planted by all the Eco Club Incharges of various schools of Delhi along with the dignitaries and school children.