Srinagar, Feb 21: Mission Ahsaas was kick-started today morning at Gilli Kadal Srinagar with its first phase of clean-up of the Khushalsar waterbody.
This massive cleansing drive of Khushalsar is being undertaken by Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO) in collaboration with SMC, MEERC of Private Schools Association and Nigeen Tourist Traders Association (NTTA).
“Mission Ahsaas’s objective is to bring attitudinal changes among the common masses and unlock their civic sense. The mission is also a humble initiative of restoring Kashmir’s traditional navigation routes as our duty towards environment, apart from being a collective cause to save our natural resources for our posterity”, Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, Chairman NLCO, said on the occasion.
This mission has people’s participation and is supported by the administration. It is pertinent to mention here that worthy divisional commissioner has shown a great concern regarding the dilapidated condition of these vital waterbodies and has assured all possible help for restoration of this waterbodies and NLCO is highly thankful to the worthy divisional commissioner for the same.
Prominent among those who participated and collaborated in today’s clean-up campaign Aamir Ali, Head Disaster Management Department, Kashmir, G. N. Var (President Private Schools Association), Rouf Tramboo (President ATOAK), Showkat A Khankashi (Secretary General – TAAK), Zahoor Qari (President TAAI-JK chapter), Sameer Ahmed Baktoo, Nadeem Qadiri (Senior lawyer and environmentalist), Miss Haleema Shabeer and volunteers of NLCO and NTTA.
The manual cleaning experts of NLCO started their cleaning process of the waterbody after the drive was formally flagged off. NLCO’s volunteers are expecting to extend the cleaning exercise up to 20-30 days. The ecstatic locals while welcoming the initiative assured the campaigners their full support to make this campaign a success.
“In order to achieve maximum results, we request LAWDA to send its Water Master machine for greater impact. Simultaneously, the boundaries of this waterbody (khushalsar) needs to be demarcated, while as immediate repairing of the gates of this lake needs to be carried out for better navigation”, Mr Wangnoo said.
Meanwhile, NLCO and NTTA have thanked Srinagar Municipal Corporation for their support to help clean the muck and garbage from the site and dispose the same. They also thanked J&K Police’s positive role in today’s event.