EPG leads plantation drive in Ganderbal, launches anti-plastic campaign at Manasbal Lake

The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) carried out a plantation drive at the hilltop of Malshahi Bagh in Beehama, Ganderbal, aiming to restore a barren and neglected landscape and enhance green cover in the area.

The drive was led by EPG Convenor Faiz Ahmad Bakshi and attended by Governing Council Member Peerzada Fayaz Ahmad, who also serves as Head of the Responsible Tourism Association of India (RTAOI).

Noted environmentalist and EPG–Green Citizen Council member Rouf Ahmad Khan was also present. Officials of the Sindh Forest Division supported the initiative by providing conifer saplings.

Participants emphasised the need to reclaim degraded landscapes through sustained, community-driven efforts. As part of a pilot phase, 100 saplings were planted to assess survival rates, with plans to expand the plantation drive in subsequent phases.

In a parallel initiative, a month-long “No Plastic/Polythene” awareness and signature campaign was organised at Manasbal Lake by the Social Concern Group (SCG). The event witnessed participation from Faiz Ahmad Bakshi, Peerzada Fayaz Ahmad, Syed Sajad Naqashbandi (President, SCG), Dost Mohammad Dar (Founder President, SCG), Ghulam Mohammad (Former President, SCG), Akhter Hussain, other EPG–Green Citizen Council members, and a large number of volunteers.

Addressing the gathering, Faiz Ahmad Bakshi stressed the importance of collective responsibility in tackling environmental degradation and called for greater public participation in afforestation, conservation efforts, and elimination of plastic and polythene in and around Manasbal Lake. He noted that preserving the lake, a centuries-old natural asset, must go hand in hand with cleanliness efforts.

Faiz Ahmad Bakshi appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to prioritise the development of Manasbal Lake, noting that it falls within his constituency and holds potential to generate employment and improve local livelihoods.

Representatives of the Social Concern Group raised concerns over pollution from the Lar Canal, which continues to discharge plastic waste and debris into the lake, severely impacting its ecosystem. They expressed concern that Manasbal, once regarded as one of the cleanest and deepest water bodies, has deteriorated due to neglect, despite some recent efforts at restoration.