Expresses concern over shrinking wetland area
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Oct 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today made a mention of the conservation and restoration of Khushal Sar and Gilsar in the heart of Srinagar city while urging the people to come together for the protection of the wetlands.
In his address to the people of J&K during the 19th Episode of the ‘Awaam Ki Awaaz’ radio broadcast, Sinha also expressed concerns over the shrinking area of the wetlands and called for joint efforts for the prevention of the same.
He said that a few days back, a report from the Central Government came to the fore in which concerns have been expressed regarding the wetlands. “As per the report, in the last 10 years, J&K has witnessed a decrease in the wetland area of 120 hectares,” he said.
Sinha said that it is a matter of concern for the natural assets of J&K and in this regard, the administration, for ecological conservation, has formed an integrated action plan, and to restore the ecological heritage, the amount of nearly Rs 47 crores is being spent.
“But in this campaign, the support of every individual is a must. I urge all the citizens that if they find any encroachment on the wetlands anywhere, the same should be brought to the notice of the concerned district administration so that the future of the new generation is safeguarded,” the LG said.
He further noted that with the partnership of people, last month, the encroachments in and around the Khushal Sar lake were cleared and after nearly 30 years, the traditional navigation route of Khushal Sar has been restored while the necessary arrangements have been made for the movement of Shikara to Gilkadal and Zadibal.
“The environment is our great asset and for the protection and conservation of the same, the people have to come together and play our part,” Sinha underlined.
It is to be noted here that the restoration of the Khushal was earlier started by the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NLCO), led by Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo and the same was later joined by the administration which includes District Administration, Srinagar, SMC, LCMA and other allied departments.
Under Phase-II of ‘Mission Ehsaas,’ started by the NLCO, the work for the restoration of Khushal Sar towards the Zadibal side was also started under which the portion of the water body was cleared nearly after 3 decades and other encroachments cleared with the assistance of the concerned departments, while it also restored a few of nearly dead springs in district Ganderbal.
Wangnoo told Excelsior that he was grateful to LG Manoj Sinha for making a mention of revived Khushal Sar in his monthly Awaam ki Awaaz program, while he noted that there was a need for doing more to achieve further success in the campaign that has been launched.
“Traditional navigation system stands restored in Khushal Sar. This was made possible by the consistent and calibrated efforts laid down by Team NLCO, Divisional Administration including SMC & LCMA and local stakeholders; but there is need for much more,” he said.
He said that there is a need for dredging, demarcation of the boundaries, and removal of Radhs, muck, and solid waste apart from the restoration of chocked springs, and fencing of boundaries especially the roadsides of Gilli Kadal Bridge to avoid littering.
“There is a need for installation of the filter medium in the form of steel nets at various spots and other inlet sources to prevent solid waste from entering into the water body and an adequate number of split-hopper with dipper dredgers, including watermasters to achieve the objectives of clearing the lake of the silt and land mass,” Wangnoo said adding that connecting all drains to the STPs is also what needs to be done.
The LG, during the radio broadcast, also highlighted success stories of many hardworking entrepreneurs and voiced several suggestions and ideas received from citizens from across the UT. He also issued directions to the concerned departments to assess and take actionable steps on the basis of the invaluable suggestions received from the masses.
Sharing the story of Jamshida Bano of Budgam, Sinha said she is truly an inspiration. She is empowering the local women by providing them training in Sozni craft and helping them with livelihood development options related to the market and value chain to ensure they are financially independent.
He underscored that the UT administration is fully determined to make women educationally, socially and economically empowered. Efforts are also being made for training, skill development and marketing through cooperative societies and self-help groups to provide institutional support to the products of women entrepreneurs. “Instructions have been issued to all departments to ensure maximum procurement through self-help groups and women entrepreneurs,” he said.
He also appreciated the work of Anise Shreen and observed that she is giving back to the society by addressing various issues related to animal care and youth with a sense of purpose, sensitivity and compassion, while discharging her official duty with dedication.
Sinha commended the Rajouri district administration for its efforts to provide market linkage to local artisans under the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, wherein almost a century old Chikri Woodcraft has been launched on the e-commerce platform. Such steps will empower the local handicrafts and artisans, he added.
He said that Hari Krishan of Udhampur and Sadiq Ali of Mendhar are shining examples of true grit and new age farming. “Their success stories based on diversification in agriculture are resonating amongst the farming communities of the adjoining areas,” he said.
The LG informed that the administration has made a substantial increase in the budget for the allocation of funds for agriculture and rural development and for the financial help of the farmers. “Policies and programmes are being designed to bridge the gap between the rural and urban population,” he said.
Speaking on the spellbinding offbeat destinations in Jammu division which are still largely unexplored, the Lt Governor said there is a need for enlightened citizens to help develop sustainable tourism together with the administration to tap the potential of these areas.
Sinha also shared the suggestion of Radhika Mahajan from Jammu on transformative effects of Blockchain technology in the travel industry and the need for incorporating the burgeoning technology of Blockchain in the field of Tourism and Hospitality. He directed the Tourism and IT departments to work on assessing its use in the UT.
Responding to Amir Hussain from Doda who touched upon the positive impact of the Ladli Beti Scheme in J&K and suggested the widening of district wide coverage of the scheme, the Lt Governor said UT administration is committed to 100% saturation of the schemes of Social Welfare Department and efforts are also being made to provide all the services digitally, adding that so far, more than one lakh beneficiaries have received Rs 150 crore directly into their accounts.
Appreciating the suggestion of Saima Mushtaq from Srinagar on organizing more exhibitions to promote the art and tradition of ‘Kashmir handicrafts’ like shawl, carpet weaving, paper mache work, chain stitching, wood carving and stone carving etc., the Lt Governor said that continuous efforts are being made to provide institutional support and participation of local artisans and craftsmen in the exhibitions being organized in the country and abroad.
The Lt Governor highlighted that under the ‘Karkhandar’ scheme started two years ago, 26 factory units have already been set up so that young children and girls could join this sector. Handicraft clusters are also being established with the help of Khadi and Village Industries which are working smoothly for design, marketing and up-gradation of skills, he further added.
Referring to the suggestion of Khan Aatif Abdullah from Kupwara who wrote that the best practices of water conservation must be promoted well with the help of volunteers, PRIs and other government institutions, the Lt Governor instructed Jal-Shakti and all the district administrations to run a special IEC campaign so that practices like water harvesting pits, rooftop rainwater harvesting structures, desilting, re-use are widely adopted.
The Lt Governor also complimented public representatives, concerned departments, common citizens and Panchayati Raj institutions for the construction and rejuvenation of Amrit Sarovars in record time in the UT.
Faisal Aijaz from Srinagar stressed on the need to increase awareness of the digital initiatives in the education through Block Diwas, Jan Abhiyan and other mass media, who was assured by the Lt Governor that necessary instructions on the same would be issued to the concerned departments.
On the suggestion of Pratibha Sharma from Jammu for setting up of an institutional mechanism to involve sportspersons of national or international repute for direct regular interaction with aspiring and young sports talents in the educational institutions, the Lt Governor announced the decision of setting up a panel of 25 eminent players each for both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The School and Higher Education Department will together prepare a calendar of interactions with the children which will motivate the future generation to perform better, he added.
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