Moved by its pathetic condition, 5-yr-old girl steps in to restore glory of Dal

Little Kashmiri girl cleaning Dal lake. —Excelsior/Shakeel
Little Kashmiri girl cleaning Dal lake. —Excelsior/Shakeel

Waseem Ahmad
Srinagar, Jan 22: At tender age when children play in the lap of mothers, a 5-year-old girl, Jannat, is collecting garbage from the world famous Dal lake to keep it clean. Moved by the pathetic condition of the lake which is fast losing its sheen to pollution and encroachments, the little girl has stepped in to give it a breather.
Early in the morning, Jannat accompanied by her father, Tariq Ahmad, is seen cleaning the Dal lake. Her father rows the boat and she collects the trash from the waters of the lake. She fears that the unabated dumping of litter into the water body would snatch this marvel from them. “It’s the beauty of the lake that attracts tourists and makes Kashmir their favorite place. Without it none would visit us,” she told Excelsior.
At such a tender age, she understands the significance of the cleanliness. She now wants to sensitize other children towards the importance of cleaning the surroundings. “I want all the children to keep their surrounding clean,” she said, adding, “from chips packets to shoes, I clean everything and my father has taught me all this.”
Jannat’s father, Tariq Ahmad, who also cleans the lake said: “She always accompanies him in cleaning the lake. My daughter has picked up this trait and started to walk on my footsteps,” he said
“It is our routine to first clean our own house and then the rest.  It’s a small initiative which might not end the menace but we are hopeful that it will encourage others as well,” he said
Tariq feels very proud that his daughter, apart from studies, is taking part in the cleanliness of the lake. “She always uses dustbin for waste and encourages people as well. I want all the parents to sensitize their kids about the cleanliness of Dal lake as it belongs to us,” he added
Amina, cousin of Jannat, said from her childhood she is very fond of cleanliness and always cares about the lake. “Jannat believes that the lake represents the beauty of Kashmir and it should be clean.  If we keep on polluting the lake, Kashmir will lose its sheen,” she said
Jannat, which means paradise, is not only winning the hearts of the people but her videos are so appealing that they moved Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as well. He shared her video on his twitter and hailed her for the compassion towards the cleanliness of the lake. “Hearing this little girl will make your morning even better! Great passion towards Swachhata.’ Indeed, her sweet words are truly magical. Holding an oar with both her hands, the girl is trying to row the boat and give out the important message on cleanliness”, the tweet read.
Dal lake is the second largest in the State which is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”. The lake is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.
The lake covers an area of 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) and is part of a natural wetland which covers 21.1 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi), including its floating gardens. But over the decades it is shrinking and efforts by local people like Jannat is the only hope for resorting its glory.

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