Srinagar, July 24: The Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has initiated the process of acquiring necessary machinery and equipment for conversion of waste including weeds from Dal Lake into organic manure.
The project, set to begin in August of this year, is a collaboration between Clean Effentech International Pvt Ltd (CEF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED).
The waste processing plant, owned by CEF Group, will be established in Srinagar specifically for the treatment and processing of Dal Lake waste.
The plant aims to produce over 20,000 tonnes of organic manure.
Dr. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Vice Chairman of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), told Greater Kashmir that the project is already underway.
“Necessary machinery and equipment have been procured, and the work is scheduled to commence in August,” he said.
He said that the project aims to convert the 70,000 tonnes of Dal waste, including weeds and lilies, into organic manure, which will benefit the agricultural sector in the valley.
As per the officials, the primary objective of this project is to address the root cause of the problem.
“Every year, thousands of tonnes of waste generated from Dal Lake pollute the environment. By producing organic manure, the project aims to provide a solution for waste management while simultaneously making organic manure readily available to farmers in the valley at reasonable costs,” officials said.
Environmental lawyer Nadeem Qadri told Greater Kashmir that the scientific process of converting weeds into organic manure is very encouraging and we must appreciate the steps taken by LCMA but at the same time, we have to understand the excessive extraction may disturb the ecology and biodiversity of the lake.
“I am sure proper scientific analysis was carried out by LCMA before initiating the project, “he said.
Earlier, Maninder Singh Nayyar, founder & CEO of CEF Group had said that the initiative will encourage farmers to adopt organic farming practices, benefit those working at Dal Lake, and promote organic farming in the region.
“The waste processing plant will also create employment opportunities for the local population,” he had said.
Pertinent to mention that farmers in Kashmir have to pay high prices for organic manure, as they currently rely on supplies from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. This dependency results in substantial transportation costs for the farmers.
