SUHAIL RATHER
Bandipora, Feb 02: Bandipora cycling club Saturday organized a cycling expedition to mark the Work Wetland Day by cycling along the banks of Wullar to highlight the pathetic condition of Wullar Lake.
The daylong event was attended by educationalists, eminent members of society and students.
Danish Nabi, a cyclist stressed on the need for regular monitoring of wetlands for their preservation and said that wetlands are not only the habitat of migratory birds but livelihood of thousands of people living along the banks of Wullar lake.
The cyclists said the cycling adventure is part of their effort to bring Bandipora on the map of adventure and attract travelers and tourists towards the district. He said the valley especially Bandipora is heaven for adventure tourists as everything that fascinates an adventure tourist will be available in Bandipora for him.
Another cyclist Mohammad Ehsan said the aim of cycling expedition around the Wular Lake was to make the people aware about the importance and socio-economic values of wetland and sensitize the society about the preservation of wetlands.
He expressed concern over the dumping of waste in the Basin of Wullar Lake that ultimately flows into Wullar and warned that if the practice continued, the valley will lose water retaining capacity and whole valley be again flooded one day. He urged the government to devise a solid waste management plant so that waste can be stopped from entering into the lake.
