A TARA Mini waste paper recycling plant and a Jal-TARA water filter have been installed at the National Bhawan, New Delhi as a part of CLEAN-India-National Bal Bhawan Partnership.

The Paper Recycling Unit enables students to learn the art and skill of recycling paper while challenging their creativity for designing paper and paper products. The unit will help in recycling enormous amounts of waste paper being generated by the institution and use it for making useful products for daily use, thereby saving trees, energy and water and also reducing the pollution load on the Yamuna River.

To provide clean drinking water is one of the important mandates of Development Alternatives and the Jal TARA Water filter will provide clean drinking water to the thousands of children and visitors to the Bal Bhawan.

The units were inaugurated by Begum Bilkees Latif, Chairperson, National Bal Bhawan and AVM Sahney, Senior Advisor, Development Alternatives on June 1 2007. Nearly nine thousand children from across Delhi were present and enthusiastically sang songs and participated in the event. Children demonstrated the operation of the paper unit. Recycled paper, bags, greeting cards and other products (decorated with Madhubhani paintings and marigold and rose petals and neem leaves) made by the children were also exhibited.

National Bal Bhavan is considered a Children’s paradise, a place where children can choose activities of their liking as per their age, and thereby enhance their creative potential. National Bal Bhawan is committed to children belonging to underprivileged sector of society and children with special needs. The 52 Bal Bhawan Kendras located in far-flung areas of Delhi cater to the slum children, children from Remand Homes, resettlement colonies and MCD/NDMC schools. It has contributed significantly to supplement and complement the formal system of education through its multi-dimensional activities.

Development Alternatives, through the nationwide CLEAN-India Programme, has been engaging with children and youth for over a decade now. Anchored by the vast network of schools and teachers, the programme is spreading with the help of tens and thousands of children, reaching out to communities, identifying the environmental problems and taking improvement actions.