Human Protest against DDA plan to make theme park in 200 acre Bharat Vandana Udhaan. Around 150 to 200 residents today gathered outside the Bharat Vandana Udhaan and raised slogans demanding scrapping of NBCC project to construct a theme park here. The slogans raised were:
बहुत हुआ कंक्रीट का जंगल,
हमे बचाना अब असली जंगल।
जंगल काट पार्क बनाना,
विकास नहीं, ये विनाश है ।
थीम पार्क की प्रोजेक्ट
रद्द करो ! रद्द करो ।
The participants formed a human chain on the verge of road outside Bharat Vandana Udhann near Marble Market, Sec-20. They also marched along the road raising slogans and awareness among the passersby. The participants mainly included members of Green Circle Dwarka, Seniors Hub, Dwarka Forum, , Indian Medical Association, Dwarka, Guru Singh Sabha (Sikh Organisation), Natural Heritage First , members of different Group Housing Societies, pradhan of tapa 17 ( a panchayat of 17 villages), and residents from the villages of Ambrahi, Kakrola, Shahbad Mohamadpur, Dhul Siras, Pochanpur, Bagdola. There were also participants from Palam, Janakpuri and Uttam Nagar.
Among the prominent individuals it included Selvarajan, Anil Parashar from Sec-6,7 also member of Green Circle, Dwarka; Capt SS Mann , Suman Tomar , Diwan Singh, Amrit Lal Gambhir from Sec-22, 23.; Lt Gen (retd) Bajwa from Sec-22, Surinder Kumar from RWA C5/A Janakpuri, Yogesh Gahlaut from Uttam Nagar, Dr JP Sharma from Area Welfare Association, Palam.
It was decided to seek appointment with Lt. Governor to personally apprise him of the issue. Also decided to conduct a mini marathon to highlight the cause further and go on conducting regular events till we save the Bharat Vandana Udhaan as a city forest. Other individuals included Arun Jaitley (Secy), president RK jain from Seniors Hub, Sushil Kumar and Arvinder Chatwal from Dwarka Forum, Selvarajan ,Secy from Green Circle demanded continuation of the natural habitat as it is, in order to maintain the ecosystem of the 200 acre natural habitat which is housing Nilgais, Turtles, Hares, Monitor lizards besides huge number of amphibians, birds and micro organisms. The water body in the midst of the jungle gets 15 feet of Rain water and serves as the natural recharger. The entire Flora including grassland and fauna in this area gives a natural Green cover. Given the locational disadvantage of being in the airport traffic due to proximity of international airport, the air pollution is the highest. Vehicular Pollution, spurt in construction activity, coupled with the arid weather condition and salty soil make it difficult for increasing Green cover in Dwarka. Under circumstances , bringing a theme park in the place of a dense Green area with a natural water body in the middle is not a good decision. It's given to understand that DDA has engaged NBCC, a construction company to make up the area as an unscientific , unviable theme park.
Diwan singh said : we need to differentiate between greenery in a park and green in a forest. A forest is a provider, whereas a park is a consumer of resources. A forest has much more capacity to clean the air and recharge groundwater in comparison to a park. South Delhi has better air than rest of Delhi due to presence of Ridge forest. Cities in West are conserving forests in their middle. Japan is conserving and developing neighborhood forest to ensure a better health for humans. DDA must start thinking about health of Delhiites rather than destroying the greens. In present scenario of urban environmental degradation building a theme park is strictly non acceptable. We can do without monuments,ne restaurants, haats, water sports or other things envisaged in a theme park, but we can not do without clean air and water that a forest would give us. We also have a duty to protect the wildlife still existing in this area i.e neelgai, monitor lizard, hundreds of peacocks, hare and surprising tortoises too. All these would go extinct if a theme park is developed here. Sushil from Dwarka Forum said that we need to further educate people on difference between theme park and forest.
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