New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Friday, will inaugurate the third International Kite Festival of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) at Baansera grasslands on Yamuna floodplains near Sarai Kale Khan in the national capital, an official said on Thursday.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena will be the Guest of Honour at the event that will also be attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

DDA Vice-Chairman N. Saravana Kumar said, in the invite for the three-day event, that the inauguration ceremony will take place at Birsa Munda Chowk in Baansera around Friday noon.

The DDA threw open and invited citizens to visit the restored grasslands on Yamuna floodplains at Baansera near Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi in August 2024.

Lauding the efforts of DDA officials, in a post on social media platform X, the L-G also attached a short video capturing the images of transformation of the area and captioned “Baansera — From Degradation to restoration as a green oasis”.

“Inspired by PM Narendra Modi Ji’s towering vision of restoring 2.6 crore hectares of country’s degraded land by 2030, we took a baby step in Delhi on May 28, 2022, right after I took over as L-G,” he said.

“On a visit to a heavily degraded and polluted stretch along the Yamuna, opposite Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road, Baansera — abode of bamboos, was conceived. What followed was not only restoration, but reclamation and transformation, within a short span of 18 months, thanks to the painstaking efforts of Delhi Development Authority @official_dda,” L-G Saxena said in a post on X.

Describing the DDA as the custodian of the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, the L-G said, “Today, with about 30,000 bamboo trees that stand more than 30-feet-tall, amid other indigenous trees and rolling landscape of green grass, flowers and water bodies, Baansera has emerged as a unique new recreational destination and an ecological wonder in Delhi.”

He added: “This baby step was a leap of faith towards enriching Delhi’s flora diversity. Baansera became fertile ground for the famed Lakadong Turmeric from Meghalaya, as also blooming Tulips.”

“Once a stinking stretch of land buried under lakhs of tonnes of garbage, construction and demolition waste and heavy encroachment, Baansera today is an oasis that houses bamboo plants emitting 30 per cent more Oxygen compared to other trees and restoring the degraded soil,” L-G Saxena said.

He added that the newly-created water bodies, rolling grass lawns and recreational facilities like a restaurant, musical fountain, walking trails and children’s play area, on Thursday welcome visitors at Baansera.

“The park is now hosting social, cultural events like Kite Festival, Yoga events and even musical evenings. Baansera epitomises the remarkable healing of Yamuna floodplain with improved soil health and a richer landscape, reaffirming our belief that ecosystems can be revived through gentle natural processes. I appeal to all fellow Delhi residents to visit the Baansera park,” the L-G said.

–IANS

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