DivisionalCommissioner Baseer Ahmad Khan today said that the conservation and preservationof cultural essence of river Jhelum is among the top priorities of theGovernment.
“The river Jhelum symbolizes the essence of this place,history and cultural heritage and for centuries it sustained the agriculture,pisciculture, transportation and recreation” he said while reviewing theprogress of conservation and preservation work on the river here at a meeting.
The Divisional Commissioner directed concerned DeputyCommissioners (DCs) to constitute zone wise teams and launch sustained cleanlinessdrive along the embankments of the riverJhelum. He directed for putting up ‘No Littering Zone’ sign boards and dumpersat all Jhelum Ghats and take action against the offenders.
The Divisional Commissioner constituted Jhelum MonitoringCommittees (JMC) for Anantnag, Pulwama, Baramulla and Bandipora districts, thepassage of the river. Concerned Deputy Commissioners will act as heads andofficers of Environment, Pollution Control Board, Forest, Urban Local Bodies,Municipal Committees and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) as members of thecommittees. The JMC members will personally visit the Jhelum embankments weeklyand review the cleanliness and Eco-restoration works of the river. The JMC willsend the complete report with photo and videographic evidences to theDivisional Commissioners office for further action.
The Div Com called for developing the embankments of theriver for Eco-tourism activities andsuggested for creating Bird watching sites, parks and other facilities alongthe fringes of the river.
Khan asked officers to re-double efforts and utilize theirexpertise for the speedy Eco-restoration and conservation of the river Jhelum.
Additional Commissioner Kashmir TasaduqHussain Mir, DeputyCommissioner Srinagar DrShahid Iqbal Choudury, Chief Engineer Irrigation &Flood Control, Director Urban Local Bodies, Regional Director State PollutionControl Board, Additional Commissioner SMC and other officers were present inthe meeting where as Deputy Commissioners of Anantnag, Pulwama, Baramullah andBandipora districts participated the meeting through video conferencing.