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The XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi offers an excellent opportunity to reach out to the widest range of audience and Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (OC CWG Delhi 2010) will conduct large-scale outreach programmes under its Green Games initiatives, with an objective of spreading awareness about environmental issues in the verticals of land, energy, air, carbon, waste and water.

Green Sensitisation for XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi

Under the Green Games initiatives OC CWG Delhi 2010 will conduct large-scale outreach events that would educate the masses. Through Green Sensitisation, OC CWG Delhi 2010 will leverage this opportunity into a mega green awareness programme. Sensitisation programmes, that will be implemented to help make a difference, have been highlighted below:  

1.      Cleaner Delhi Drive

The Cleaner Delhi Drive will provide an opportunity for the OC CWG Delhi 2010 to leverage the Games platform and sensitise citizens of Delhi on civic cleanliness and promote Green Games objective of clean Delhi. Anti-litter campaign and civic cleanliness is a critical aspect of the Drive. This will help the city to prepare itself to become a world class city

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The overall theme of the Cleaner Delhi Drive would be to promote cleanliness and civic sense through the development of responsiveness among the youth of Delhi. Delhi’s youth will become the torch bearers and drivers of improvement in civic sense and will enhance cleanliness awareness among citizens of Delhi by a ‘ripple effect’. Cleaner Delhi Drive would widely publicise the sustainable habits and behaviour –critical trait of an informed global citizen.

The campaign will involve government bodies, UNEP, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and corporate (via sponsorship) and citizen of Delhi for its success.

The target audience for the Cleaner Delhi Drive has been categorised in to following segments-

  • Students (from schools and colleges across Delhi)
  • Volunteers from NGOs
  • General public
  •  Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) of major colonies in Delhi

   

2.      Bio- Diverse Afforestation drive

     Roughly 19.08 percent of the total geographic area of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) has forest cover. The distribution of this green cover is uneven with the south and south-west comprising most of it. Through Delhi 2010, the OC CWG Delhi 2010 aims to enhance the green cover of NCTD, so as to increase its bio-diversity and to improve the level of eco-system services such as ground water recharge, noise pollution buffers, etc., provided by green covers. The campaign highlights in this regard are:

     The main objective of the bio-diverse afforestation drive is to help increase the existing green cover in the NCTD. This exercise will be carried out involving a large number of students and the general public. The drive will help inculcate responsibility towards the environment, and the knowledge and need of tree plantation amongst the masses.

     The OC CWG Delhi 2010 along with the Department of Environment and Forest will recognise locations within the NCTD where bio-diverse afforestation is possible. Key components to be included are:

  • Planting of species with important ecosystem functions
  • Selective plantation of native species that augment and attract bio-diversity
  • Planting of species according to the utility requirements, i.e., dust absorbing, noise absorbing, gaseous pollutant absorbing, bio-diversity enhancing, carbon buffer and aromatic plant species

     The first bio-diversity carbon sink drive kicked off with the launch of first city forest at Aaya Nagar on 30 October 2009 where 3,000 saplings were planted. Student volunteers from eco-clubs schools and colleges in Delhi, representatives of Delhi Government, Forest Department and Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi were also present on occasion. Subsequent bio- diversity drive would be organised in near future.

3.      Sustainable Transport Day:

One of the major contributors to global warming is the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission. Transportation activities are the foremost source of GHG emission. With an estimated attendance of over 250, 000 domestic and international spectators, transport would be one of the key contributors of the increase in carbon footprint. The OC CWG Delhi 2010 is aware of this fact and it intends to use the platform provided by the Games to execute strategic communication and sensitisation activities aimed at encouraging the use of sustainable means and modes of transport, public and private, during the Games.

            The programme has a twofold objective:

  • Demonstrate brand Delhi 2010 Green Games through highlighting achievements in sustainable and green transportation development, provision of public parking for vehicles and cycles, especially at metro stations
  • Persuade and educate public on the use of green public transportation systems

 

A contingent from the OC CWG Delhi 2010 will carry a ‘triathlon’ like rally encouraging the citizens to adopt pollution-free mode of transportation and therefore send across awareness message on benefits of using sustainable transport means.

The target audience would include people like students who can easily use sustainable means of transport. The campaign will aim towards the involvement of following groups:

  • School students
  • College students
  • Environmental activists and eminent environmentalists
  •  Academicians
  • Sportspersons
  • Citizens of Delhi


4.      Water Conservation Rally

Water is a vital resource for the survival of the human race. Exhausting water resources are a growing concern for all. As of today, water scarcity affects four out of every ten people on the planet. It is also important to note that out of all the water in the world only 2.5 percent is drinkable. The Games will provide a platform wherein the sensitisation of the masses in terms of water conservation can be carried out. OC CWG Delhi 2010 has devised a sensitisation strategy for water conservation and against water pollution.

The water Conservation rally would be organised with following objectives:

  • To sensitise the public on water shortage
  •  To make the public aware of the different ways and means of conserving water
  • To spread the knowledge about water pollution and the methods to reduce it

The following initiatives are planned for the awareness campaign to be held on World Water Conservation Day

  • Advertising the slogan and basic water conservation techniques via print and electronic media
  •  Water conservation posters to be printed and distributed amongst all the schools and colleges involved
  • Workshops to be held/literature to be given, to the students on water conservation techniques
  • Schools and colleges to take ownership of nearby RWAs and hold awareness drives with them
  • Mementoes and certificates to be given to the participating schools and colleges
  • A “Save Water Rally” promoting the conservation of water to be conducted on 22 March 2010, i.e., World Water Day
  • Rally to pass through known landmarks of the host city such as the Jantar Mantar
  • Rally to end at an open field where the large number of participant can easily congregate
  •  Members of OC CWG Delhi 2010 management, eminent environmentalists and Government officials to speak on the closing event of the rally
  • NGOs, students, volunteers, socialites, etc., to be roped in to take active part in the rally
  • Media partners to accompany

5.      Eco Compliant Lifestyle

Change begins within.  The objective of the Eco Lifestyle programme is to sensitize members of the OC CWG Delhi 2010on environment friendly sustainable ways of working. Regular workshops are organised to spread awareness on how individuals can change their lifestyle to make a big difference to the environment.

The objective of these workshops is also to educate the OC CWG Delhi 2010 employees about the goals of the sustainability and environment that have been adopted by the OC CWG Delhi 2010 to achieve the objective of Green Games. The message of environment and sustainability is sent across to all functional areas so that everyone works in coherence with the Green Games goals.

Workshops were conducted in the month of December 2009 and January2010 to sensitise the Games workforce on the following aspects with the objective of creating green games champions and ambassadors out of each one of them

  • Climate change and a globally degrading environment
  • A perspective on sustainability and environment considerations while planning functional area operations
  • Eco compliant lifestyle – personal sustainability initiatives

         These workshop were conducted at OC CWG Delhi 2010 headquarter and received enthusiastic response from the participants. It was an interactive session where the workforce pledged that they will include sustainable tips in their day to day routine to make a difference to the environment.