Bandipora: On the World Water Day today speakers during a programme in Bandipora district pledged to protect the water bodies from pollution.
They stated that the beginning has to be made an individual level and that a lot is still needed to be done as the solid waste management was a challenge.
The district administration Bandipora in collaboration with District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) had organised the programme.
Bandipora, which apart from its landscape, is known for freshwater streams and the experts said that the water bodies were increasingly getting polluted posing a serious challenge for the people as well as the departments in getting clean potable water into the households.
The Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, Abdul Khaliq Qureshi said, “The streams of Arin, Athwatoo were getting polluted”.
Bandipora, which is also home to famed Wular Lake, according to officials produces 18 tons of Municipal waste in the main town only. It excludes Hajin, Sumbal and waste from rural areas. The waste from 17 municipal wards of the town is junked off at the dumping site near the banks of famed Wular Lake.
The Joint Director of Planning, Imtiyaz Ahmad said, “70 per cent of the population was rural and that there was no data available on solid waste generated in villages as no collection takes place even.”
He said besides polluting water bodies, the solid waste from rural areas was directly landing into the Wular Lake as almost every stream ultimately discharged into it, hence deteriorating the Lake’s condition.
The district legal services authority secretary, Faiqa Nazir said more awareness programmes at school and college levels were required to sensitise the students and children. Nazir said, “Bandipora was still lucky to have abundant water sources, but efforts were required to conserve these water bodies.”
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Owais Ahamd said, “Whenever Bandipora is introduced, people talk about Ilm, Adab and Aab, but for two years I know what problems we are facing related to pure drinking water. Be it streams or Wular Lake and the fish in it or other ecosystems, all are getting affected. The water from all the sources is channelled into Lake, ultimately affecting us,” he said.