Jammu and Kashmir: Cleaning drive organised to preserve Dal Lake

Volunteers conducting cleaning drive in Shrinagar's Dal Lake. [Courtesy, ANI]

A cleanliness drive has been organised in Srinagar's Dal Lake to preserve the water bodies of the Kashmir Valley.

A Travel Agents Federation of Kashmir (TAFOK) incorporation with the Tourism department has organised the drive that draws the attention of several people of the Vale.

During the drive, travel operators of the Travel Agents Federation of Kashmir (TAFOK), volunteers of local non-government organizations (NGO), and students voluntarily showed their interest in the cleaning drive.

Speaking to ANI, Hilal Ahmad, the organiser, said, "We have been preparing for this drive for a month. Dal Lake is a heritage property as well. We were planning to conduct this drive for 2-3 days every month. It's a social and moral responsibility of every citizen to participate in cleaning drives to preserve our nature."

During this drive, participants use local boats and nets to collect the waste including plastic bottles, polythene, disposable items, and other wastes.

Mushtaq, a participant, said, "Dal Lake is a gift of God to us and it's our responsibility to preserve it. The plastic wastes in the lake can disturb the ecosystem, their species, and hydrophytes. I am thankful to the director of the Tourism Department for making a contribution to this initiative."