Young brigade shows the green way

HOUSEFED COMPLEX: A young brigade of Housefed Complex in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar had embarked upon a green mission three years ago. Seeing the deplorable condition of seven parks in their locality, a group of 15 children had joined hands and took to hoe and plough to turn these wastelands into beautiful gardens.
As their proverbial will found a way, soon the barren lands became lush green and blooming.Through their efforts they showed that age is no deterrent if one is determined to make a difference. Though they started their journey alone, six months later other members of the society too joined them in their initiative.
Yashika Puri, 18, who is the eldest member of the group, said, ‘‘Three years ago, the colony was newly-developed and the parks neglected. We had no place to play or spend some time together with our friends. So, all youngsters joined forces. Our green journey was not easy. We first lifted garbage from the parks and then levelled these. Later, our parents too helped us.’’
Another member of the group Palkh Dutta, 15, said, ‘‘The ill-maintained parks were an eyesore and so we decided to better these. Elders’ support came in later... now, they are also maintaining these green belts.’’
The youngest member of this group, Muskan Goyal, 8, said, ‘‘After clearing the fields of stones, construction material and garbage, we initiated construction work. At times, we would spend an entire day there, supervising the work.’’
Rachit Salhotra, 15, said, ‘‘We did it for ourselves and the area residents.’’
Appreciating their efforts, a businessman and resident of the area, Sanjeev Puri, said, ‘‘The youngsters of our colony have done a wonderful job. The initiative was theirs... we just supported them.’’