Prog encourages people to actively participate in conservation of invaluable water heritage structures

Pampore: Jal Jeevan Mission celebrated Water Heritage Fortnight in the Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
In a two-week celebration of the Water Heritage Fortnight, Jal Jeevan Mission engaged communities, students, and civil society in the area. Various events and activities were organized in Ladhoo village as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission’s fortnight celebrations. The programme includes awareness programmes, and water testing training involving school children, Asha workers, and civil society members.
“This initiative aims to encourage communities, students, civil society, NGOs, government officials, and individuals to actively participate in the conservation and preservation of our invaluable water heritage structures,” Jal Jeevan Mission officials told Kashmir Reader.
On the culmination day of the Fortnight Celebrations of the Water Heritage Site at Sanyasar Nag Temple in Ladhoo village of Pampore, a programme was organized by the PHE Sub-division Pampore in coordination with the Archaeology Department, Education Department, and Culture, including the heads of various villages and civil society members. This was done under the guidance of the district administration to preserve and conserve water heritage sites, including the 1500-year-old temple in Ladhoo village.
A message was conveyed to the public to preserve the only heritage site in the area. The programme was attended by Superintending Engineer Hydraulic Pulwama, Er. A.R. Baradwaj, Project Manager JJM, Er. G.M. Ganai, Assistant Executive Engineer PHE Sub Division Pampore, Er. Gulzar Ahmad, along with other officers and officials, including members of Pani Samiti and PRIs.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) PHE Sub-division Pampore, Gulzar Ahmad, said the programme has been ongoing since last month, focusing on water heritage sites. “There are a total of 75 such sites across the country, with Kashmir having three, out of which Srinagar has two, and Pulwama district has only one. The site is located in Ladhoo, Pampore, known as the Saniyasar Naag Temple. In this area, there is also a temple built 1500 years ago,” he said.
“Today, this temple is in excellent condition, surrounded by a mosque and shrine both in the front and back. We have been running this programme for the last 15 days, and numerous departments have been actively involved. The district administration of Pulwama played a significant role in supporting this initiative, as the entire program was conducted under their guidance,” he added.
The officer said they conducted the programme based on the directions from the Government of India. Simultaneously, under the Jal Jeevan Mission, there is a crucial need to preserve the water in it. It should not be polluted; apart from drinking, it is being used for agricultural purposes, he said.
“To pass it on to the next generation, we must protect it. This way, the upcoming generations will also know that they have this precious resource available, thanks to the preservation efforts of the Jal Jeevan Mission – a motto that emphasizes saving water for saving lives,” he added.
The AEE urged the public to preserve heritage sites and ensure they remain unharmed and well-maintained. This message has been emphasized for the past 15 days, particularly due to the uniqueness of this site being the only one in the Pulwama district, he said.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Project Manager JJM A.R. Baradwaj said, “Today, we are celebrating the Water Heritage Fortnight programme, which is taking place in Ladhoo, Pampore. Today was its concluding day, and I want to mention that all over India, there are 75 water heritage sites selected by the Government of India and Pulwama district has only this one site present at Ladhoo. Today, we organised a very successful Programme, and everyone has pledged to preserve all our water bodies.”
Local Sarpanch Babita Bhat, speaking about today’s programme, said, “Our district has secured the first position in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of the three sites selected in Kashmir, our Saniyasar Naag Temple in Ladhoo village has been ranked the highest. I appeal to the people, please do not pollute it. It is our natural system serving the purpose of drinking water and playing a crucial role in agricultural activities.”

BILAL HABIB