On the occasion of Earth Day, residents of Vatika City in Sector 49, Gurgaon, came together to mark the inauguration of an in-situ composting plant, reinforcing their commitment to sustainable living. The event also featured an environmental talk by Vineet Vohra, Founder of Give Me Trees Trust, along with the opening of a two-day “Aravali Bachao” exhibition.
For cities like Gurgaon, where a growing population has put tremendous pressure on natural resources, Amitabh Singh, Vice President, Vatika City Apartment Owners Association, noted that sustainability initiatives such as in-situ composting for large waste generators like institutions and housing societies are essential for recycling waste and reducing ecological pressure.
He added that with already low groundwater levels, limited forest cover, and poor AQI, such initiatives are no longer optional, but necessary.
Speaking on the role of citizen involvement, Singh said, “Public participation and citizen involvement is an important way to get mass behaviour change… Unless this behaviour change starts setting in with the people and public, the problem will remain.” He added that children and the elderly are two community groups that can play an important role in bringing about this positive change.
Reflecting the urgency of the moment, Singh added, “The Earth and environment have never been in a more fragile state than it is today… Let each one of us act, let us in our own small ways fight.” Echoing Mahatma Gandhi, he said, “Let us ‘Be the change that we wish to see in the world’,” calling for a collective commitment to living in harmony with nature.
Singh also highlighted the efforts being undertaken by members of Vatika City, which includes a focus on the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. At the community level, measures are being implemented to reduce power consumption, along with water conservation initiatives such as rainwater harvesting.
The society is also promoting the use of green fertilizers and conscious material consumption. Treated water from the STP is being reused for horticulture and cleaning, while recycling systems have been put in place for organic waste through composting, as well as plastics, paper, cardboard, tins, and bottles.