The biggest challenge Jammu & Kashmir state will face in the coming 10 to 15 years is management of solid and liquid waste. I have been emphasizing through my columns, Government is not in a position to set up new landfill sites. This is more challenging in Srinagar city. Huge population density, means lack of land availability. Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is not able to acquire even 10 hectares of land around Srinagar city for establishing a new scientific landfill site as the existing site at Achan is almost filled to capacity. Even if they get a piece of land, the surrounding population will agitate. We don’t have an open space away from population. Only available land around Srinagar city is the wetland, and it same can’t be used to dump solid waste.
The specifications for a landfill site make it clear that even neighboring Budgam district is not a feasible place for setting up of a landfill site. Reason, location of Srinagar airport and air-force base in Budgam. SMC can’t even acquire land in Ganderbal district because the western side is full of wetland, and towards east there are mountains. SMC can’t transport its municipal solid waste to North or South Kashmir as its transportation cost will be huge; plus locals will definitely oppose the move.
In such a challenging situation authorities need some solution. But they are not able to find it because we don’t take solid waste issue so seriously. On the other hand solid waste continues to be dumped on roadside, vacant plots, on the banks of water bodies. And sometimes straight into rivers and rivulets. The liquid waste coming out from residential houses finds its way almost invariably into water bodies, irrigation canals and lakes.
Management of municipal solid waste is not only an onerous task for Srinagar Municipal Committee but their counterparts in Jammu city also. The Municipal Council Udhampur has not been able to establish a scientific landfill site for years. For their own convenience, the sanitation staff dumps all the municipal waste inside forest area on the banks of Tawi river. Those traveling from Srinagar to Jammu would have seen heaps of garbage while entering Udhampur city towards the eastern side of highway. This solid waste is burnt down which causes air pollution as well. In towns like Kulgam and Anantnag lot of solid waste is dumped into Vaishaw, Jhelum or Arpath nallahs. Same is the situation in North Kashmir’s Sopore, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla towns.
Here are some SUGGESTIONS
Waste Management is a future need. We have to learn the art of managing waste. Bio-degradable waste should not at any cost be thrown out. Government must come up with a regulation making composting of biodegradable waste mandatory for households having space, especially in residential colonies and villages. Enforce complete ban on plastic packaging items (chips packs, biscuit packs). Our authorities instead seize carry bags that are recyclable. All this can be well achieved when we institutionalize the entire waste management work by creating a State Waste Management Authority (SWMA). This authority should have no other job other than management of solid and liquid waste. The members of this authority should not only be Government officials but people from private sector and NGOs having good experience in waste management should be involved. SWMA needs to be assigned the task to look after both urban and rural waste management in collaboration with Rural Sanitation Department & community based organizations like Mohalla committees, village Panchayats and Masjid committees.