MUZAFFARABAD, July 5: Around 150 children from different parts of the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, arrived here on Monday in connection with the Third National Children Mountain Conservation Meet , organized by the AJK Tourism Department in collaboration with the Adventure Foundation Pakistan (AFP).

The participants reached here from the neighbouring NWFP town of Abbottabad where they had assembled on Saturday afternoon. In Muzaffarabad, the tourism department organized a function at a local hotel to mark the formal beginning of the event.

Speaking on the occasion, AJK secretary works Dr Salahuddin appreciated the joint efforts of the tourism department and the AFP to create awareness among the young generation through mountaineering regarding clean environment.

The AFP director-general Aftab Rana said that such type of activities were bound to create confidence among children for exploration of natural beauty. Later, the AFP experts gave an in-depth briefing to the participants on the event.

The children also visited the historical Neelum Fort constructed on the left bank of River Neelum in Muzaffarabad. Participants also visited Daokhan near Leepa valley and Sudhan Galli at the border of Muzaffarabad and Bagh districts.

Organizers said the groups would start eco-projects from Tuesday in their respective sites such as study of lifestyle, study of flora and fauna, tree plantation and cleaning and setting up waste management systems. On Thursday, the groups would interchange their areas and repeat similar activities over the next two days, they said.