Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 2 

The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) on Saturday carried out a plantation drive in Ganderbal district as part of efforts to restore degraded landscapes and expand green cover in north Kashmir.

The drive was conducted at the hilltop of Malshahi Bagh in Beehama, where organisers said the initiative aimed to revive a barren and neglected stretch through community participation.

The plantation drive was led by EPG Convenor Faiz Ahmad Bakshi and attended by Governing Council member Peerzada Fayaz Ahmad, who is also associated with the Responsible Tourism Association of India. Environmentalist Rouf Ahmad Khan and officials of the Sindh Forest Division also participated, with conifer saplings provided for plantation.

Organisers said 100 saplings were planted in the first phase as a pilot project to assess survival rates, with plans for expansion in the coming months.

In a parallel initiative, a month-long anti-plastic awareness and signature campaign was launched at Manasbal Lake by the Social Concern Group (SCG), focusing on reducing plastic and polythene pollution in the water body.

Speakers at the event stressed the need for collective responsibility in tackling environmental degradation and called for stronger conservation efforts around the lake.

Participants also raised concerns over pollution entering the lake through the Lar Canal, which they said continues to carry plastic waste and debris into the water body, affecting its ecosystem.

Organisers appealed for urgent steps to protect Manasbal Lake, noting its ecological and livelihood importance for surrounding communities.