1. The Gangbal lake is situated in the foothills of Mount Harmukh which is the second highest peak in the vicinity of Kashmir Valley located in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake and is home to many species of fishes including the brown trout introduced by British in 1902. The lake has been acting as a major tourist attraction for many years and has been flocked by both national and international tourists. It is also a major source of income for tourist guides and restaurants in Naranag which serves as rendezvous for all tourists visiting Gangbal. Due to heavy influx by tourists, the area has been flooded with garbage and trash which pose a threat to both ecology and allureness of the area.
2. 34 Assam Rifles under HQ 3 Sector RR organised a cleaning campaign as part of JAL SHAKTI ABHIYAN : CATCH THE RAIN at Naranag on 15th Jul 2021. Under the campaign, 34 Assam Rifles along with the civil administration educated the local population and the tourists on the essence of keeping Gangbal and its surroundings clean of garbage. They were apprised of how this garbage would directly impact their health and livelihood. Special emphasis were given to tourists and specially, bakkarwals who would play an important part in the cleanliness drive by further educating their counter parts on clean Gangbal drive.
3. After imparting speech on cleanliness drive, all attendees were administered Oath under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan to keep water bodies and surrounding areas clean of any garbage and make earnest endeavor towards the initiative for its success.
4. To futher associate with the campaign, nation anthem was sung by all attendants to derive a sense of duty to our country clean. The impact on people was evident via their participation of the cleanliness drive undertaken at Naranag where garbage was cleaned with a promise of maintaining the cleanliness of the area throughout. Since the drive will be continuous process, it aims to clean Gangbal and adjoining area by 30th November 2021.
5. Special invitees included Ex MLA Mr Altaf Miyan Ji, Mr Ghulam Nabi Yatoo, Director Tourist Dept and other dignitaries from civil administration. They all appreciated the inviative taken by the Wussan battalion for such an importance cause, which will be remembered for a very long period. The locals and tourist were confident that with such initiate they would succeed in bring back the luster of Gangbal Lake which it truly deserves.
