*Repeated PCB notices not being taken seriously
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 7: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that three Government bodies are maintaining blind eye towards the serious health hazards being posed by the unscientific disposal of biodegradable waste generated every day by the Fruit and Vegetable Market Narwal. Moreover, the repeated notices by the Pollution Control Board are not being taken seriously by the concerned authorities.
These three agencies are Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, Jammu Municipal Corporation and Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JKEDA) and their officers are passing buck on each other instead of initiating steps to ensure strict adherence to the Solid Waste Management Rules, which otherwise are being flouted with impunity.
As per the information available with EXCELSIOR, the Narwal Fruit and Vegetable Mandi is generating huge quantity of biodegradable waste every day and the same is being dumped and burnt in the area between the railway track and Mandi complex in blatant violation of Solid Waste Management Rules by the persons engaged by the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC).
“Though the Pollution Control Board, on the basis of complaints received from different quarters and through reliable sources, has repeatedly taken up the issue with the Director APMC and Secretary, APMC Narwal Fruit and Vegetable Market, the issue has not been taken seriously till date and serious health hazards due to dumping and burning of waste are still lurking”, sources said.
Even recently, the Regional Director of Pollution Control Board, Shaukat Chowdhary dashed a fresh communication to the APMC expressing concern over unscientific disposal of biodegradable waste from Mandi in public areas.
“It has already been intimated in earlier communications regarding proper disposal of solid waste till installation of biogas plant and strict instructions to be given to contractor to safely transport the waste beyond habitation area and cover it daily with at least 10 cm of soil or preferably may be transported to nearby dairies to be fed to cattle but nothing has been done at your end”, reads the communication No. SPCB/RDJ/MSW/ 16/724-29 addressed by Regional Director Pollution Control Board to Secretary APMC Narwal.
“The Board has received complaints regarding open burning of waste within Mandi premises itself/nearby Mandi area posing serious health hazard besides being a violation of the norms under Solid Waste Management Rules”, the PCB Regional Director said in the communication, adding “the matter needs urgent attention and intervention of APMC as burning is totally prohibited under rules”.
As per the Pollution Control Board, it is mandatory under SWM Rules for bulk consumers to segregate the waste at source, handing over non-biodegradable portion to recyclers and handle bio-degradable waste within their premises by composting/biomethanation. “The APMC is directed to ensure 100% source segregation and compliance of directions failing which strict penalization shall be imposed under rules”, the PCB Regional Director has conveyed in the latest communication.
“Not only the APMC even the Jammu Municipal Corporation is maintaining blind eye towards non-adherence to the Solid Waste Management Rules as it has the powers to stop flouting of rules”, sources said, adding “if the prevailing situation is allowed it may cause serious health hazards in near future”.
When contacted, Director APMC, Rafiq Ahmed Hakeem said, “we are hapless as Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JKEDA), which was asked to prepare Detailed Project Report for biogas plant, has not completed the task till date”.
He claimed that APMC has repeatedly been writing to JKEDA for early preparation of DPR but no positive response has been received so far. “What to talk of giving us DPR, JKEDA is not even communicating us the status of DPR preparation”, he added.
In response to a question, the Director said, “land is not an issue for the plant and the same is available within the complex at Narwal. All what we require is DPR otherwise we would not be able to resolve this problem”.
“In this way, the JKEDA is also maintaining blind eye towards serious health hazards being caused by the unscientific disposal of waste”, sources said, adding “it is a mockery of the system that three agencies of the Government are just passing buck on each other instead of resolving the grave issue”.
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