Indiscriminate garbage dumping irks residents, orchardists in Shopian town

Shopian: Muhammad Iqbal has to cover his face as he walks past a fuel station to avoid the rancid odour emanating from heaps of garbage dumped indiscriminately near the station in Meemnder locality of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

According to Iqbal, the nauseating stench of the waste keeps pervading through the entire locality round the clock causing tremendous inconvenience to the residents.

   

“We requested the municipal authorities many a time to remove the muck from the locality but to no avail”, he said.

Iqbal said that it had become nearly impossible for them to stay indoors as the acrid odor emanating from the garbage entered their houses.

A group of residents told Greater Kashmir that the muck invited packs of stray dogs making it difficult for them to step out of their homes particularly in the morning and evening hours.

“The dogs pose a serious threat to our lives. The women and school going children are more vulnerable to canine attacks”, they said.

The residents said that a few months ago a dumper was installed in the locality but it was removed soon.

“They removed the dumper without any rhyme or reason”, said the residents.

The local farmers have the apprehensions that the non-biodegradable waste lying unattended may affect their apple orchards.

“Now we found plastic and polythene in our apple farms which could have a deleterious effect on soil health”, they said.

An official from Municipal Council Shopian said that the department would look into the matter.

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