Okhla-headquartered NGO, Earth Care Mission (ECM), received an award for its longstanding social work — including cleanliness, health, and education initiatives — in Jamia Nagar area at an event held at Surya Hotel on Tuesday.

Sharing the information with the OT, Engineer Syed Hashmi said ECM received the Udaan Award from RMC Aviation Academy at Surya Hotel.

Thanks to Jamia Hamdard Vice Chancellor, MQH Beg, Imtiyaz Noorani: ECM chief

“Heartfelt thanks to Professor Mohammad Afsar Alam, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard; MQH Beg, Chairman of Jamia Cooperative Bank; Pilot Anil Sharma; and Imtiyaz Noorani, Managing Director of RMC and Founder-Chairman of CRIBS Group of Hospitals, for presenting the award. Thanks also to Dr. Saba (Executive Director, RMC Aviation). Special thanks to ECM team members Advocate Azhar Alam and Sibghatullah Khan for their presence and support,” said Hashmi, who is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia.

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For many Okhla residents, ECM is a familiar name, as its members have been working tirelessly for years to bring positive change to the locality and keep the area clean and green.

Hashmi, who started the initiative years ago with the sole motto of creating awareness about cleanliness and other pressing issues, gradually expanded his team — composed mostly of professionals like doctors, engineers, and teachers— w ho volunteer primarily on weekends or public holidays.

Hashmi said the award will further motivate the team, which does not hesitate to raise local concerns with the administration and elected leaders, often with tangible results. “We are always active — even during the COVID period, when most people stayed indoors, our team was out on the streets of Delhi and Jamia Nagar, distributing masks and sanitisers to residents,” he said.

ECM raises local issues

Very recently, ECM raised the issue of an open manhole that had remained uncovered for more than a fortnight in Abul Fazal Enclave. The organization ran a campaign in association with local media and YouTubers to highlight the problem and put pressure on the administration to have it covered. Days of persistent campaigning yielded positive results when the manhole was finally closed, said Hashmi. He added that there are several other issues that also need immediate attention, such as roadside garbage, dust from construction, and overflowing sewers.

“The problem is that it’s not only the local leaders who are careless in addressing such issues—the residents also tend to be indifferent, believing they can do nothing. However, my experience shows that change is possible if residents, RWAs, and NGOs work together to address these issues one by one. If you walk through the area, you will notice that garbage is thrown onto the streets by residents merely to save a few bucks. My request to such residents is that they should take care of their streets just as they do their homes,” he said.

Work of NGO praised by residents

Unlike many local activists who nurse dreams of becoming politicians and contesting elections, ECM members have remained committed to social work for years, said AFE resident Javed Khan. He added that their work should be appreciated and ECM should be encouraged to take up more pressing issues and push for solutions from the administration and local leaders.

The NGO’s work has even made headlines in national dailies. One such daily covered their unique campaign years ago, where professionals took to the streets of Jamia Nagar with brooms in hand to clean the area.

Besides ECM, there are other NGOs in the area that are doing great work for the uplift of the locality, and their efforts should also be appreciated, said Khan.