Garbage dumping in Pulwama village threat to freshwater springs

Residents of Pahnad village in southern Kashmir’s Pulwama district are shouting hoarse against municipal authorities dumping garbage in the area that hosts many freshwater springs.

Scores of residents of Wahibugh, a sleepy farming villagesix kilometers from Pulwama town, complained that municipal authorities havechosen their village as a new site for dumping garbage collected fromelsewhere.

   

“For past few weeks they have been dumping the garbageat Pahnad in our village despite our objections,” said Bashir Ahmad, avillager.

The residents of Pahnad fear the garbage could irreversiblypollute many freshwater springs in the area surrounding the village.

 “We drink water fromthese springs, but the garbage will easily spoil them,” said one villager.

The villagers say that the piles of garbage dumped aroundhad already invited canines to the area, making it difficult for the women andchildren to fearlessly stroll around.

“We raise objections even when the authorities wereplanning to dump the garbage here and asked them to look for some other sitefar from the habitation,” a villager from among a perturbed group said.

Some residents of the village griped that overloaded garbagetrucks spill some of the litter along the streets while passing through thearea, putting them to a lot of inconvenience.

“They did not take trouble to clean the streets later.A rancid odor emanating from the trucks make us nauseous,” anotherresident said, others vehemently nodding in agreement.

The villagers demanded that authorities must immediatelystop dumping garbage in the area and clear the site.

Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Pulwama, MushtaqAhmad, said that the district administration identified the site for garbagedumping.

“It is Kascharai (state land) and is away from thelocal habitation,” Ahmad contended.

Revenue officials, however, say that Kascharai land could beused for no other purpose other than grazing.

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