Delhi was recently ranked as the most polluted city in the world by the WHO. The level of PM 2.5, the most harmful particle for humans, is approximately 15 times higher in the National Capital than the permissible limit.
This was reason enough for some action to be taken. TOI launched the ‘Let Delhi Breathe’ campaign to highlight the problem of air pollution and suggested ways to control the rising pollution. The campaign had a huge impact in the form of an advancement of the Euro 6 norms rollout deadline, Euro 4 fuel made available in entire North India a year before schedule, ban on registration of diesel vehicle above 2000 cc, fine imprisonment for burning of leaves garbage, fast tracking work on Western & Eastern peripheral expressways, and other clean air initiatives.
However, TOI wanted to do something more on-ground for the cause and this led to the launch of the TOI Green Drive.
The objective of this initiative was to create awareness about the increasing pollution levels among people of Delhi and to ensure people and community participation in making the city green and a better place to live. It also wanted to do something which actually made a difference on the ground with focus on reviving the degraded eco system and reducing the effects of air pollution The TOI Green Drive created in creased awareness about the rising pollution levels among the people of Delhi. The campaign ensured participation from people belonging to different walks of life towards making Delhi a green and better place to live.
The initiative resulted in planting over 1.2 lakh tree saplings in Delhi in the month of August through priceless contributions of over 40,000 citizens which met its objective to control the ever increasing levels of pollution and helped revive the degraded eco-system by reducing the effects of air pollution.
This was a unique on ground initiative where TOI, the government and a corporate house joined hands to spearhead an effort to make Delhi Green. The initiative was inaugurated at Sanjay Lake and culminated with a plantation drive at Tilpath Valley(a 200 acres city forest being developed as a bio-diversity park). Nearly 1 lakh saplings were planted within hours, which otherwise would have taken five years.
Tilpath Valley was de signed to be developed as a bio-diversity park where the focus was to revive the de graded eco-system which would help in reducing the effects of air pollution. The trees planted were all native species in the form of community clusters that will regenerate many other species of flora and fauna. People from various schools, youth organisations, senior citizens, visually impaired citizens, spiritual organisations, corporates, NGOs, and government organizations joined the TOI Green Drive.
