DDA organises awareness program at Yamuna Biodiversity Park

DDA in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) organized Jagrukta Abhiyaan, an awareness programme on Saturday, 26th February 2022 at Yamuna Biodiversity Park Phase-1. The event addressed the impacts of climate change on everyday lives and the role of biodiversity parks in climate resilience.

This was the third event organized by DDA themed around ‘Rejuvenation of River Yamuna floodplains‘ to celebrate ‘Azadi  ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.

The event witnessed extensive participation of more than 200 students from Daulat Ram College, Hansraj College, Dayal Singh College (Evening), Mata Sundri College, PG DAV College (Evening), Delhi Institute of Advanced Studies, Guru Govind Singh College of Commerce and Guru Ram Das College of Education.

The participants were addressed by Dr Faiyaz A. Khudsar, Scientist In-charge of the Biodiversity Parks Program followed by nature walks led by Scientists, ecologists and nature education officers Ekta Khurana, Preeti, Harmik, Ranjeeta who interacted with students and ignited the young minds to conserve our natural heritage i.e. floodplains of River Yamuna.  Strolling through the dense woody vegetation, sprawling grasslands, where native species have been constituted in the form of biological communities, the students comprehended how a barren and degraded landscape has been conserved and evolved into the model of environmental sustainability and resilience.

The role of Biodiversity Parks to mitigate the impact of climate change and adapt to extreme weather conditions was also discussed. The students experienced their connection with nature by looking at gigantic trees of Kaith, Arjun, Jamun, Palash, Amaltash, Harad, Bahera and Chilbil and huge numbers of resident and migratory birds in and around the wetlands.

Yamuna Biodiversity Park, a jewel in Delhi's Green Treasure has been jointly developed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi, and is one of the fully operative Biodiversity Parks. One can experience natural tranquillity amid its ambient silence. It is a habitat to a diversity of forest communities, biologically rich wetlands, grassland communities, a wide variety of fruit yielding species and an abundance of medicinal herbs. The Park features two major zones: the visitor zone and the nature reserve zone. There is a Nature Interpretation Centre that provides an insight into the basic concepts of Biodiversity and showcases various development stages of the park.

The programme ended with the assembly of students at Nature Interpretation Centre with a thought-provoking session by the scientists of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park. Kulbir Singh, Director (Hort.), DDA gave vote of thanks elaborating the importance of Biodiversity Parks for providing ecological services to the society and the need of awareness amongst the younger generation.