SAVE to conserve mosque ponds

Following efforts to rope in schools for the conservation of waterbodies in the district, the Student Army for Vivid Environment (SAVE) is now planning to rejuvenate ponds on the premises of mosques as part of its ‘Jeevajalam’ project.

Representatives of the project, including Deputy Director of Education E.K. Suresh Kumar, on Thursday met Kozhikode Khazi K.V. Imbichammad requesting him to issue instructions to masjid committees for the purpose. The committees could convene meetings to discuss water conservation and special groups should be formed to take up the rejuvenation of ponds.

The Khazi said that there were around 500 ponds on the premises of the 2,000-odd mosques in the district. However, most of them had been land-filled in the recent past. The rest were not being used either. Worshippers were taking water from water tanks or water pipes for ablution. He promised the SAVE representatives that he would issue instructions for the conservation of the existing ponds on mosque premises.

Schools are selecting one waterbody each as part of the ‘Jeevajalam’ project to rejuvenate and clean it. The project was launched recently at the Zamorin’s Higher Secondary School.