Ranbir canal is not dustbin

Sir,
Refer news item ‘Save Ranbir canal from increasing pollution’ DE Aug 22.
Ranbir canal is one of the important canals of Jammu Division. But this life line is under constant pollution threat and it may cease to exist if remedial measures are not taken at the earliest. There is an urgent need to launch an awareness drive among people particularly those living near it.
People  use it as a dustbin to dump every sort of waste that generates in their homes and shops. Their attitude towards this beautiful canal is quite pathetic. Instead of beautifying it further, they never hesitate to defile it. Rather they should have been at forefront of any movement to save it from dying.
There was a time when people used its water for drinking, washing and bathing. The water is so much polluted leave aside humans, even animals won’t drink its dirty water. Though washing goes on along its banks, this practice should be stopped forthwith. Besides during summers it was a place where  would get respite form scorching heat. While watching its water was a treat to eyes sometime back, the same water now is quite offensive to eyes.
The people should stop using it as a dustbin to keep its water pure. Had it been flowing through a western city it would have become a tourist attraction. And poets would have glorified it in their poems.
Yours etc….
Neelam Sharma
Domana