Paras Tyagi

Paras Tyagi is the co-founder of the Centre for Youth Culture, Law, and Environment (CYCLE), an NGO dedicated to enhance public policy implementation in India.

Growing up in Budhela village, Delhi, Tyagi witnessed firsthand the challenges of urbanization, such as environmental degradation and loss of community resources. This experience fueled his commitment to addressing the rural-urban divide and advocating for sustainable urban development.

At CYCLE, Paras focuses on preserving water bodies and protecting urban villages from encroachment. In 2020, his team inspected over 1,000 water bodies in Delhi, finding that 302 had been partially or completely encroached upon by government agencies and private individuals. He has also been involved in legal battles to protect ponds, such as the case in Vikaspuri, where he and local residents opposed the DDA's plans to construct a building on a historic pond site. He holds a Master's in Public Policy from NLSIU, Bangalore.