17-Year-Old Surat Girl Appointed Green Ambassador By United Nations Environment Programme

A17-year-old Surat girl has been appointed as the Regional Ambassador for India (RA) for India by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Tunza Eco-Generation (TEG) this September.

During the lockdown, Khushi Chindaliya devoted her time working on the environment. She invested in understanding the causes of environmental degradation which would help her devise strategies to revive the damage.

On being asked what led her to achieve the role as the green ambassador of the country, Khushi said, "My sensitivity towards the degradation of nature and understanding of its repercussions.''

"A few years back when I first came to live in New City Light area as a child, I had befriended a chikoo (sapodilla sapota) tree near my house which was also the resting place of many birds. In fact, the whole area was green. But as I grew up, I kept seeing how concrete jungle crept in and replaced by greenery. I was worried that my younger sister will never get to see what I had enjoyed," she told the Times of India.

Amid the coronavirus-induced restrictions in the physical moment, she will be working on her online program.

"This month I will be sharing reports and speaking on what my government is doing for the environment and how education can help arrest the decline. I get to interact with RAs from across the globe and understand situations in their part of the globe as well," she added.

Khushi is among the 100 young people of India whose essays have been chosen by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to be published in a book Year 1 AC (after coronavirus): Essays by young 100 Indians.

Also Read: Rajasthan: 16-Yr-Old Girl Dies By Suicide, Father Alleges Rape