Civil Campaign to Clean the Barada River

A civil campaign will work to clean up the Barada River, which has been suffering from low water levels and increased pollution, according to a September 30 article on the website Syria News.



A Syrian team of nature-loving volunteers has announced the clean-up campaign for the second year to save the 71-kilometre river, which is the main waterway passing through Damascus, the article said.



Issam Habbal, the team’s spokesman, told the website that the campaign would include activities in addition to cleaning, like a painting workshop for children, concerts and the distribution of plastic bags to encourage people not to litter the river.



The campaign will start on October 15 with a concert where songs for the river will be performed, he said.



Because of the exhaustion of water used for drinking purposes as well as drought, Barada river water levels have fallen in recent years, the website said.

It added that the river was polluted by sewage and littering.