Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, June 7: Happening for the first time, the Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has installed a floating trash boom on the Nallah Amir Khan aimed at preventing the trash from flowing into the water bodies down the stream.
In this regard, officials told Excelsior that they have created a ramp where the floating trash boom has been put in place which, they said, will prevent the trash from seeping down into the water bodies such as Gilsar and Khushal Sar.
The VC LCMA Bashir Ahmad Bhat told Excelsior that they were already carrying out the necessary cleaning at the Gate which is near Gilsar Lake, however, he said that they were faced with the issues in the transportation of the trash, prompting them to identify a suitable place for the installation of a floating trash boom.
“To tackle the same effectively, we have now put in place a floating trash boom which is going to help a great deal in keeping the stream as well as the water bodies down the stream clean,” he said.
Earlier, the locals of the area have been protesting due to the foul smell which was generated by the stagnant trash in the water stream and have been urging the authorities to address the issue.
Moreover, NLCO has been cleaning the nearby water bodies and has also been pitching for the same to ensure that the cleaned water bodies are not polluted again and the trash is prevented from flowing into the cleaned water bodies.
While appreciating the move of LCMA, NLCO’s Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo-whose volunteers along with other stakeholders have been tirelessly working towards the restoration of the water bodies and traditional navigation routes-termed it as a much-awaited step.
“The upkeep and conservation of Nallah Amir Khan will ultimately have a positive effect on Gilsar and Khushalsar. The ramp near Gilsar gate will now arrest the solid waste. It was much needed and will make cleaning of the water stream easier,” Wangnoo said.
Bhat said that near the gate on the Nallah Amir Khan, a boom has been put in place after the creation of a ramp which will be serviced regularly to prevent the trash from flowing down.
“At the same time, we are also working for the upkeep of the stream as we have also identified a few more spots and we will be installing more trash booms there eyeing a comprehensive cleaning of the Nallah Amir Khan, which will automatically ensure the upkeep of other water bodies down the stream,” he said.
He said that the LCMA is also planning to clean the ghats on the Nallah Amir Khan, while, he said upstream at Pokhribal and Ahmadakadal, there is a lily extraction process going on.
“Within 2 months, the situation will be quite different as we are working to ensure the restoration of the navigation throughout the stretch,” he said.
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