Saifuddin Soz urges govt to protect Jhelum River

Srinagar, June 05: On the occasion of World Environment Day, former Union Minister Professor Saifuddin Soz on Friday urged the Omar Abdullah-led Government of Jammu and Kashmir to protect “our lifeline”, the River Jhelum.

“I feel extremely sorry for the neglect of our duty to protect our environment. There is an immediate need to protect our only lifeline — the River Jhelum,” Soz said in a statement.

He said that all the dirt and filth generated by the civil society residing along the banks of the river is discharged directly into it from Verinag to Khadanyar.

“The government must rise to the occasion before it becomes impossible to do anything,” he added.

“I have made an earnest request to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene a Cabinet meeting with a single item on the agenda — ‘The Safety of Our Lifeline, the River Jhelum’,” the former Union Minister stated.

Soz observed that at “a dozen spots from Verinag to Khadanyar, dirt and filth are discharged directly into the River Jhelum.”

“I have earnestly appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to immediately stop this malpractice,” he said.