Making a point that they can't allow their heritage to be swallowed by urban development, school children from the valley on Tuesday joined hands with the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation in a clean-up operation.

The drive launched by NLCO in collaboration with the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and J-K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), an agency working for the preservation of water bodies in the valley was aimed at cleaning the Nagin Lake and its peripheries of polythene. Polythene has been accused of being the major source of pollution of the water bodies in the valley.

A cross section of people ranging from businessmen, bureaucrats, SMC and LAWDA officials and students participated in the drive. Many Kashmir-based organizations too had extended their support to the move – J-K Houseboat Owner’s Association, J-K Department of Tourism, SMC, the University of Kashmir, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, J-K Pollution Control Board, Kashmir Private Schools Association and doctors from Social Preventive Medicine wing of the GMC including others. The J-K Department of Tourism had also extended support to the Op-Clean-Up programme of the Nigeen Lake.

Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Khurshid Ahmed Ganie, also attended the function. “We need to start somewhere and this is a good beginning. We need to create awareness,” he said.

Thousands of tones of polythene were retrieved from in and around Nagin. “Polythene is growing like an epidemic, it has choked our water bodies. We need to put a stop to it,” said Commissioner SMC, Farooq Renzu. SMC started a public awareness campaign in the last few days and has promised to eradicate polythene from Srinagar within one month.

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