Kashmir boat rally to create awareness on water pollution

Srinagar, May 15 (ANI): A boat rally was held in Kashmir to make people aware of river pollution on Thursday.

Organized by the Tourism Department of the State in collaboration with the Rafting Association of Kashmir, the rally sought to persuade the people not throw polythene and other such polluting stuff into water bodies.

"These water bodies are the pride of our state. It is our duty to take care of these water bodies. We need people's support in doing this. Government departments like the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Tourism Department, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority are all trying to protect these water bodies from pollution. We are trying stop the usage of polythene in our state," said Farooq Shah, director of the state's tourism department.

The participants in the rally said we want to tell the people that they should not pollute the river by throwing stuff like polythene.

Jhelum River, which originates from Vernag, 80 kilometres of Srinagar, runs through the city and ultimately drains into the Indus River in Pakistan.

Encroachments, most of them going on for decades, are choking the river.

A swift-flowing and muddy-looking river, Jhelum supports scores of families living in houseboats.

Apart from the houseboats, Jhelum is surrounded by many old monuments and settlements, which have altered the river's natural environs. (ANI)