| Green
oasis in peril
The Delhi Ridge Forest, the capitals
green lung is under threat. What all the creatures of the Ridge forest have to say about
their condition.
ECOTOUR: RIDGEFOREST
JUNGLEJOG
Where does all your garbage go?Visit to landfill sites,
plastic recycling units, sewage treatment plants and Sulabh. |
Peepul:
Don’t you think the state of the
Delhi Ridge is declining fast ? All these new constructions have eaten away into the
Ridge.
Gulmohar:
And all that noise pollution, it’s making me deaf ! It was so quiet and peaceful
once.
Peepul: I
agree.
Gulmohar: And
the worst thing is that we cannot stop it. We can’t march on to the roads and tell
people about what they are doing to us. We  are mute.
Flame of the forest:
Oh dear, from all that pollution, I am losing my bright orange complexion. I am becoming
really dull nowadays.
Ber: My
fruit shall no longer be fit for eating, what with all that poisonous gas blowing my way.
Katha: I
did’nt know my seed could be chewed and is cancer-causing.
Shikra: I
wanted to see what the much-talked-about Delhi Ridge was really like. I will not stay here
another minute.
Passing beetle:
I think I’ll go with you. I’ve had enough. These stupid humans want to make our
natural jungle into artificial parks and lawns to take their dogs out for a walk. Huh!
Cuckoo: Gulmoharji, Peepulji, Palashji, Berji, Kathaji. I take leave of you. I thank you
for having my nest for so many years. I have to flee. My tiny nestling can not live here.
But I thank you for cleaning Dilli’s air. If it was’nt for you everyone would
have choked to death long ago.
Gulmohar:
I heard a man say when he came for his
daily walk, "Those old days were something else. I can hardly recognise the Ridge
now. It’s nothing compared to what it was twenty years back ." I agree with him.
I have lived in this ridge for thirty years.Peepul:
I think Delhi Citizens should be made aware about the disadvantages of cutting down the
Ridge forest.
When will they learn? |
"Help!
Help!" is one slogan that would be used commonly by the trees in the Ridge if they
would be able to speak our language. |
Text by
Isha Mital
Illustrations by Shagun |
Of Yuk Yamuna
boat rides, ancient stepwells, toilet museums and garbologists!
- Waste Disposal: RAISING A
STINK!
Visit to landfill sites, sewage treatment plants and recycling units, for a
first-hand account of what happens to all our waste.
- River Pollution: YAMUNA YUK RIDE
A boat ride down the river to see and learn why the river is so polluted
and what can be done to clean up.
- Water Harvesting: WATER WALK
A lesson in environmental history — a walk to see traditional water
harvesting sites in the city.
- The Delhi Ridge: JUNGLE JOG
A nature walk in Delhi’s ‘green lung’, the Ridge forest.
An Environment Education Manual for School Teachers
A Teacher’s Manual,Our Ecological Footprint — Think of your city as  an ecosystem
which would help educators to conduct the Ecological Footprint Project on their own, has
been compiled by the Environment Education Unit. This manual was released on the occasion
of Earth Day 2000, during a two-day workshop on Environment Education for educators from
schools and NGOs across the country. The focus was on "Sustainable Cities" and
"replicating the Ecological Footprint Project in your city or town". Our aim is
to provide teachers with information and ideas so that they are equipped to take up such
activities with their students. The Manual, though being Delhi-specific, can act as a
model for educators in other towns and cities to adapt the concept to their specific local
needs and conditions.
Price: Rs90/- (10%discount for
DTE subscribers)
If you wish to conduct such ecotours or to
get a copy of the manual, please contact us at pinkie@cseindia.org
or rustam@cseindia.org |
|
A Down To
Earth Supplement
