During the exuberant celebrations o the Common Wealth Games, Delhi did not forget to make sure the city looked spic and span for the visitors. It used this opportunity to stir the conscience of its citizens to make them more aware of the major concern of rising air, water and noise pollution. Many school students, teachers, social workers and enthusiastic neighbors all took part in Delhi’s own “Clean Delhi-NCR Drive” Campaign. I was also given the opportunity to represent my school, G.D Goenka World School, in the drive and take the pledge of never throwing or standing the sight of any other person throwing anything on the road sides or into the precious rivers. Schools such as St.Thomas, Delhi Public school, Modern school, Vasant Valley and Sanskriti also took part in this campaign and traveled throughout Delhi to specific locations with garbage bags in their hands and a goal in their hearts. Roads and parks in areas such as Chandini Chowk,Rohini, Sadar bazaar, Chowri bazaar and Jama Masjid were cleaned thoroughly and left shining at the end of the one week drive. Not only students but also social leaders took part in this drive to reach out to the ears of the common man and spread awareness about the harm that we are causing to our own home.
Every school designed and scribbled their oath and best wishes on a poster. I as an IAYP participant, from my school was responsible to deliver this too and hang it on the extending chains of posters on either side of the roads of Connaught Place. A road leading inwards form the Ashoka road was blocked for this specific drive and surprisingly many delhi-ites came out on bright sunny afternoons in large numbers. T-shirts, caps and badges were distributed amongst the passionate people to create a sense of unity and dedication towards this drive. As cultural festivities play a major role in public communication, plays, songs and dances were performed by students of colleges and schools as well as famous artists. Such plays were about the irony of us Indians throwing garbage,(“holy waste”) and ashes from dead bodies into the river Yamuna, a river that was known for its magnificence many years ago. The anthem for this drive “Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna” was sung by Delhi-ites who swayed to this tune arm in arm. This sight evoked a sense of unity in me and I felt more connected to not only the campaign but also to the local community I live in. This drive was a great learning experience for me and made me realize that each individual has the potential to reach out to connect to the world and make it a better place for each one of us. “Humanity and nature must co-exist as neither will survive as the other dies”.
-Aarushi Bahl, XI-B (G D GOENKA WORLD SCHOOL)