New Delhi: The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 (OC CWG Delhi 2010) is cognizant of the impact that big sporting events have on the environment and to combat such adverse impact, the OC CWG Delhi 2010 is undertaking focused efforts in Prioritizing Environmental Issues and Concerns while planning and delivery of the Games.

The OC CWG Delhi 2010 plans to leverage the platform of the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi to spread the message of sustainability and environment. In this context, the OC CWG Delhi 2010 has initiated a plantation drive with Department of Environment (DoE), GNCTD, which has been kicked off at Aaya Nagar city forest today. This initiative will be followed by plantations across the 5 other city forests identified by DoE for the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

The key highlights of the event in Delhi included the following:

1. Inauguration of the Commonwealth Games City Forest by Mr. P K Tripathi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr. Ramesh Kumar, MP and Mr. Balram Kumar, area MLA at 4:30 pm at Aaya Nagar where about 3,000 saplings were planted. Mr D M Shukla, Conservator of Forest and Mr Dharmendra, Secretary, DOE, were also present on the occasion.

2. Participants present at the plantation drive consisted of student volunteers from Eco-Clubs schools & colleges of Delhi, members of Delhi Government, Forest Department and Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi.

The Sustainability and Environment Functional Area of the OC CWG Delhi 2010 has adopted a Green Games vision to “Strive towards reducing carbon and consumption footprint of the Games and become the benchmark for all multi-disciplinary games in the future”.

The OC CWG Delhi 2010 has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and has been working closely with them to explore possible areas of engagements to further enhance the sustainability status of the Games at a global level.

The plantation drive that has been launched today, is a step towards offsetting the carbon footprint generated in the course of Delhi 2010, eventually moving towards “Climate Neutral” status for the Games with strategic greening targets and objectives.