Veer Ojas Talks About ‘Saving The Aravallis’ At YKA Summit“Do you value your life and the future of your children?”, 16-year-old Veer Ojas asked those present on the first day Youth Ki Awaaz Summit 2019.
Inspired by Greta Thunberg’s conviction and vision, Veer Ojas, a 16-year-old student from Gurgaon, Haryana has strongly advocated the case for saving the Aravallis. “If I am doing my job right, it would make you want to take action,” he said, reminding the audience to fight against the decimation of the Aravallis. “This is a fight that you and I have to win,” he continued.
Talking about the lack of green cover in Haryana and India, he expressed his concerns over one of the largest mountain ranges, the Aravallis, which are under a serious threat. The hills are over a 692 km-long range of mountains, which are crucial to the sustenance of people in Delhi and Gurgaon, as the hills recharge the groundwater in this region. Along with that, the Aravallis also provide fresh air to this region, where pollution has been increasing at an alarming rate with each passing day. They also protect the region from dust storms and hot dry winds coming from the Thar deserts and is an important biodiversity hotspot—preserving in itself innumerable species of animals and plants.
Recently, the Haryana government passed a bill to amend a 118-year-old colonial Act called, the ‘Punjab Land Preservation Act’ (PLPA). This act protects the 74,000 acres of forest cover in Aravallis from any human interference and activity. However, the sorrow state of administration paves the way towards the expiry date and amendment of PLPA.
“Since 2002, the Haryana State Government has not put any efforts into renewing the expiry dates of PLPA,” shares Veer. The PLPA amendment was passed in February 2019, negating the very idea that PLPA protected. Thus opening the doors for several constructional projects leading to no legal forest cover in Haryana, leaving the rich natural heritage of Aravallis exposed to danger.
But Veer has some other plans. He mobilised a group of students deeply concerned about the climatic situation and started protesting against this bill. Along with his sister Manya, he formed Climate Action Gurgaon, a platform where anyone concerned about climate change can contribute and become a part of the change. “We started focusing our protests on the Aravallis.”
He recently started an initiative called, ‘Walks to Aravallis’ to sensitize people about the importance of Aravallis. He believes that a walk through the wild and vivid terrain of Aravalli will be able to garner a connection between the mountains and them. “Very few people care for the Aravallis,” he states the lack of understanding the importance of the Aravallis as the reason for their ignorance and indifference.
He says that the extinction of this biodiversity hotspot has a direct effect on our lives, and
sadly, we have no time left. He asks the youth to raise their voice through social media and become part of the movement, he urges people to join his initiative, protest #AravalliBachao. “This is a fight for our future,” with this he signs off.