During the 36th edition of Mann ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded an 18-year-old ragpicker Bilal Dar for single-handedly cleaning Wular Lake of Kashmir.
Bilal Dar earns his living by picking up waste from the Wular Lake in Bandipura district of North Kashmir. His father, also a ragpicker, died of cancer in 2003.
After his father's sudden loss, Bilal took to collecting plastic trash and other waste from Wular lake to financially support his mother and two sisters. Dar was 14 years old when he started working as a ragpicker and has been earning around Rs. 150-200 per day.
Dr. Shafkat Khan, Srinagar Municipal commissioner, said that Bilal Dar took upon himself to get Wular lake rid of pollution by collecting over 12,000 kg trash annually till now.
Bilal has now been appointed as the brand ambassador of Srinagar Municipal corporation. As a brand ambassador, he will be given a special uniform and a vehicle which will enable him to talk to people in Srinagar and make awareness about the importance of cleanliness.
For his commitment to Wular lake and its cleanliness, Bilal was also featured in a documentary 'Saving the Saviour - Story of a kid and Wular Lake'. The documentary depicted the life of Bilal Dar and won several awards at various film festivals.
Bilal Dar appealed to Prime Minister Modi to provide him with a stable job as his family does not have any regular means of livelihood.