We belong to a polluted environment of a metro

NEW DELHI, November 22: “This planet does not belong to grown-ups only,” say eight kids aged between 10 and 12 representing India at the second International Children Conference being organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at Nairobi, Kenya from November 23 to 25. As the five-point charter drawn up by the Panchvati Green Movement, to which they are affiliated, begins: “We belong to a polluted environment of a metropolis and do not know any other environment than this”. The Panchvati Green Movement, duly ratified by the UNEP at its Leave It To Us summit in England in 1995, was conceptualised by 15-year-old Harsha Batra, and claims to have a current membership of nearly one million children.

One of the highlights of the kids’ participation at Nairobi in the presence of the international media and their 600-odd counterparts hailing from 100 countries would be presentation of a video tape on their movement’s achievements so far and Treasure Room, a project to educate slum children with the help of funds generated by recycling of goods.