by BISMumbai Correspondent

Each year on 05 June, since 1974, the World Environment Day [WED], one of the many principal flagship programmes of the United Nations [UN] is commemorated across the globe. It is an awareness, advocacy, action campaign to help adapt to, and adopt equitable and sustainable development. The United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP] established on Day 01 of the Stockholm Conference Conference on Human Environment [05-16 June 1972], oversees this organisation. This year, 2020, the WED is hosted in Colombia [part of the Amazonian Rainforest and containing 10% of the earth's biodiversity], in partnership with Germany, on the theme 'Biodiversity'.

On this WED 2020, the MumbaiSalesians' at Don Bosco Makarpura undertook a sapling-plantation drive on the campus. The action-plan was ideated by Father Isaac Arackaparambil-Rector and Parish Priest, together with Father Anthony Goyal Administrator and Father John Samala veteran formator, teacher and priest-educator. With the involvement of parishioners, youth and a few volunteers, 40 saplings were potted. Every year, this occasion is marked with a large participation of youth, children, parishioners, etc., but this year due to the prevailing circumstances, many could not be involved in this plantation drive.

Speaking to BISMumbai, Don Bosco Makarpura Administrator Father Goyal said, "Actually we are doing this 40 sapling-plantation because we have to consciously do something for Mother Earth. It is not because it is a day when everyone does something, but because once we understand the importance of plants, trees, and nature, only then can we survive as humans. We need the environment and the environment is dependent on us too." He further added, "This is not a photo-op. Each one of us is supposed to do it. Our lives depend on it."

Don Bosco High School Makarpura, is a Don Bosco Green Alliance Member, actively participating in all the campaigns and involved in various 'green' events, educating and building up a new generation of environmentally committed citizens and leaders, through its students. It has earlier successfully undertaken a water harvesting project which was financially supported by General Electric Company [GE], and has also installed 20 KV + 20 KV Tracker Rooftop Solar Panels (the first of its kind). Father Anthony Pinto-Principal Don Bosco School, had earlier said, " Having been a Don Bosco School since the last 25 years, one of the greatest concerns we have had as educators, and in education, is to make students aware of the great environment crisis."

As Don Bosco Green Alliance launches a new campaign this WED 2020, to 'Rethink, Reconnect, Renew: Rethinking our interconnections to reimagine a better world, MumbaiSalesians' Institutions like Don Bosco in Vadodara, lead the way sensitizing young people within their environs through workshops, to adopt sustainable lifestyle choices and take concrete actions as part of the 'new normal'.