Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Recently Regional Director J&K State Pollution Control Board (Kashmir division) Dr Nadeem Hussain while talking to a news reporter in Srinagar said that in-spite of identifying several dumping sites (landfills) in Kashmir valley the proposal was facing the issue of land acquisition. He further said on record that when there are no dumping sites, what can Pollution Control Board (PCB) do? Since I have been very much critical about J&K PCB’s activities, but I second Dr Nadeem on the issue of non-availability of land for landfilling. I have been raising this issue at different forums but Government is not concerned about it and this can lead us towards a disaster in the shape of epidemic. The absence of scientific landfills is not only an issue that Kashmir valley is facing but this is an issue for Jammu region as well.
Scientific Landfill site not dumping site
Our qualified Government officials never use words like scientific landfill site, they always call it ” Dumping Site “. Let us stop using this shabby word. Scientific landfills are not even called landfills nowadays. Now they are called Resource Recovery Sites because the waste is not waste but a resource provided we abide by Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and Pollution Control Board along with Municipalities / Urban Local Bodies, citizen groups, NGOs etc play their effective role. A scientific landfill site is a place that is developed for controlled disposal and scientific treatment of Solid Waste. These sites should abide by the guidelines of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW Rules 2016). Scientific landfill site is an ideal waste management solution. There is complete control of landfill gas, leachate, and limited access of vectors (e.g., rodents, flies, etc.) to the waste. As per the guidelines of MSW Rules 2016 only 20 percent of the waste has to be transported to landfill site and rest of the waste (resource) is to be treated by in-house composting of bio degradable waste or by creating decentralized waste processing units in residential colonies itself. Almost all the waste collected in Srinagar / Jammu cities is transported to Achan/ Bhagwati Nagar landfill sites and this is a routine practice from last several decades. It is not case of only Achan or Bhagwati Nagar but 80 percent of landfill sites across other states have similar issues. All the leachate (poisonous liquid oozing from garbage) goes into the water table and leads to several chronic ailments including cancer.
No land for landfilling
I am of firm belief that Government won’t be able to acquire land for creating a new landfill site for Srinagar city at least, reason is non availability of huge chunk of land in Srinagar or its outskirts or even in adjoining districts. In Jammu city the land acquisition is also an issue but not of serious nature as I have been told that a place has already been identified for the same around Kot Balwal. As per MSW Rules of 2016 the specifications for creating a new landfill site are as under :
The area has to be 100 meter away from river, 200 meter from a pond, 200 meter from Highways, Habitations, Public Parks and water supply wells and 20 km away from Airports or Airbase. However in a special case, landfill site may be set up within a distance of 10 and 20 km away from the Airport/Airbase after obtaining no objection certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority/ Air force as the case may be. These rules make it clear that Budgam area in Srinagar outskirts is not a feasible place for landfill site as airport and air-force base is located in this area. Ganderbal has a lot of wetland on its western side and towards east it has mountains where it is impossible to create a landfill site. We can’t transport waste to Kupwara, Kargil or Leh? So we have no other alternative other than to clear a space at Achan and fill site which can be used for next 10 to 20 years.
How to clear the space ?
The only solution is to ensure reduction of waste and learning art of waste management. PCB, SMC, JMC and NGOs can play a great role in this direction. Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and other smaller municipalities across our state must make sure that those houses who have enough space with a garden etcshould be asked to undertake in-house composting of organic / bio degradable waste. Organic waste consists of 70-80 percent of the total waste generated in Jammu / Srinagar cities and other towns. After proper training and awareness of such households the sanitation staff should not lift organic waste from the houses who have enough space. I have personally started doing this from last 2 years and this way I reduce a least 50 to 60 kgs of waste every month as my family generates 2 kgs of organic waste (wealth) daily. The said organic waste gets composted in few pits and same is used in my own kitchen garden.
Imagine if I lakh households start processing wet waste in their kitchen gardens , we can reduce 1 lakh kgs of waste every day as every household generates 1 kg of waste at an average / day. In addition to it the existing garbage cells at Srinagar to Jammu landfill site should be opened and Bio Remediation / Bio Mining of old waste should be undertaken. If several bio remediation machines are installed within 2 to 3 years, SMC can clear at least 20 hectares of land at Achan. Dustbin is not the solution for waste management, it is beyond that, let us learn this art soon for our own survival.
Conclusion
Pollution Control Board is empowered enough to penalize and prosecute the violators. When i sought information under Right to Information Act (RTI) from J&K State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) as to what kind of activities they are doing or have done in past 2 years to enforce SWM Rules , they had almost no answer. PCB officials are seen active on the ground when our unemployed youth set up a small business units. The officials come and start harassing the entrepreneur on one pretext or the other. Finally they get their palms greased and go. This is what is being alleged by many people whom I have interviewed personally. When it is to take violators of solid waste to task like urban local bodies , bulk waste generators , wholesale plastic material suppliers, hospitals , big hotels etc Pollution Control Board is a mute spectator. I agree that they can’t do anything vis a vis creating new landfills but at least they can ensure source segregation of waste , its collection in a segregated manner from doorsteps etc. But I have hardly seen PCB officials doing it. When we sought information from J&K PCB under RTI Act about the activities done by them in past, the response was few workshops for Gardner’s , school kids , Panchayat members etc in Jammu.
It seems as if J&K Pollution Control Board is a low profile NGO ? In Kashmir valley not even such small workshops were organized by PCB. Being such an established institution, PCB should have conducted hundreds of such programmes. When I asked PCB how many people / organisations (private / Govt) they have prosecuted during last 2 years, the answer was NIL ? It seems as if Jammu & Kashmir state is the most cleanest place on earth and everything is in ordervis a vis waste management?
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel