Anantnag govt school adopts canal, launches clean-up drive

Anantnag, Aug 18: Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Wanpoh, Anantnag adopted a canal adjacent to their school and initiated a cleanup drive on Saturday, aiming to restore it to its pristine condition.
The cleanup drive also saw staff and students engaging with local households, urging them to contribute to maintaining the canal’s cleanliness.
Ruheed Gul, a lecturer at GHSS Wanpoh, said the school is commitment to the cause. “We, along with our students and staff, initiated the cleanup of the Nandi Canal, which our school has adopted due to the significant pollution and waste from local households,” Gul said. “Our goal is to return it to its original state.”
Gul said that adopting the canal means the school will continue to organize regular cleanup efforts, involving both staff and students. The school will also work closely with the local community to ensure the canal remains clean and free of litter.
He said that the program was joined by all stakeholders, including students, workers from the Department of Irrigation, Flood Control, Jal Shakti, local youth, and Auqaf, who were all part of the initiative.
“The canal was once so clean that people used to drink its water. We are determined to restore it to that state. We also plan to collaborate with the concerned departments to ensure the canal’s smooth upkeep,” he said.
The school’s initiative aims to set a positive example, with the hope that other schools will follow suit and take responsibility for nearby water bodies, in line with a directive issued by the administration last year.
“The most encouraging aspect of this initiative is the voluntary participation of our students. We are hopeful that in a decade, these students will become ambassadors of change, ensuring our water bodies remain litter-free,” Gul added.
Suhaib Aziz, a student, said they were pleased to take part in the canal cleanup initiative and felt it was a blessing that the school took such a positive step.
He said that they went door-to-door, urging residents to contribute to keeping the Nandi Canal clean and maintaining a healthy environment for the well-being of society. He added that he, along with many other students, was part of the cleanup drive and helped remove a significant amount of pollution and waste from the canal.