Preserve water bodies of J

Srinagar, Nov 2 (UNI) Expressing concern over depleting condition of water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, state Governor N N Vohra has stressed the need to evolve a longterm and well evolved strategy to preserve the world famous Dal Lake and one of the biggest sweet water lakes in Asia, Wullar.

''The famous water bodies like Dal and Wullar demand a long term and a well evolved strategy for their preservation and cleanliness,'' Mr Vohra said after inaugurating a three-day National Symposium on ''Water Resources in India, Concerns, Conservation and Management'' at the Kashmir University here yesterday.

He said over exploitation of water resources has created serious challenges for the mankind.

''There can be alternatives to energy but not to water,'' the Governor said, adding that existence of life was impossible without water.

Mr Vohra said issues like climate changes, global warming, melting of glaciers and over use of water resources concerned one and all and need to be addressed with a common approach.

He said the decline in the ground and surface water resources had adverse effects on the sectors directly dependable on the aquatic resources.

Mr Vohra said that human nature is a great threat to the water bodies and everybody should be mindful of it.

He, however, expressed satisfaction that Kashmir University had formed a core group to study the technical, ecological and other reasons for pollution of the Dal Lake.

He also hoped that the symposium would deliberate at length on these issues and would come out with some concrete recommendations to preserve these water bodies.

Earlier, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir, Professor Reyaz Panjabi elaborated the aims and objectives of the symposium and said there would be presentations on climate change, surface and ground water resources, snow and glaciers, wet lands and Dal lake in the programme.

UNI BAS SK KP1227