Bioremediation of old dumping site near Tawi yet to begin
Much-needed treatment plant at Kot Bhalwal on papers only
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 2: Adopting contemptuous attitude towards the repeated directives of the highest court of the State, Jammu Municipal Corporation has failed to start bioremediation of old dumping site at Bhagwati Nagar near River Tawi and make any progress on setting up of solid waste treatment plant at Kot Bhalwal despite lapse of considerable period of time.
Following identification of new dumping site at Kot Bhalwal in the outskirts of winter capital of the State on its directions, the Division Bench of the State High Court while dealing with the Public Interest Litigation titled Rajinder Singh Versus State of J&K and Others, had in the month of January this year explicitly told the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to start bioremediation of old dumping site at Bhagwati Nagar near River Tawi.
This exercise was found imperative as even after stopping of garbage dumping at Bhagwati Nagar large number of birds are seen swarming over the site thereby continuously posing threat to the aircrafts operation from the Jammu airport situated in its immediate vicinity, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
It is pertinent to mention here that bioremediation is a waste management technique that involves the use of organisms to remove or neutralize pollutants from a contaminated site. Due to bioremediation, bio-degradable waste gets completely destroyed and paves the way for easy segregation and collection of non-biodegradable material.
However, despite lapse of nine months the JMC has failed to start bioremediation of the Bhagwati Nagar site thereby establishing that for those at the helm of affairs in the Corporation the directives of the highest court of the State don’t carry any importance, sources regretted.
“Due to this not only swarming of birds has remained unchecked even passing through the area particularly during summer and rainy seasons is almost impossible because of stinking atmosphere”, they further said.
Holding non-seriousness and dilly-dallying approach of those at the helm of affairs in the Corporation responsible for the prevailing situation, sources disclosed that chemical was purchased from a selected company but the same was not found fit for addressing the problem and thereafter no further time-bound step was initiated to implement the directions of the High Court.
“The failure of the Corporation to start bioremediation of the Bhagwati Nagar site is notwithstanding the fact that Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board had clearly conveyed to the High Court that it was ready to extend all sorts of assistance to JMC in this regard”, sources said.
They further said, “even after identification of new dumping site there is no end to disposal of garbage in unscientific manner because of the inability of the Jammu Municipal Corporation to start establishment of solid waste treatment plant”, adding “during the past several years setting up of the much-needed plant is only on papers”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the people living in the vicinity of new dumping site are repeatedly expressing concern over disposal of solid waste in unscientific manner as the same is polluting the environment and may lead to health hazards in near future.
According to the sources, tenders were floated in the past for setting up of solid waste treatment plant on Public Private Partnership basis but those who participated in the exercise failed to meet the conditions laid down by the Municipal Corporation.
“Thereafter, no further steps were initiated to engage any company for establishment of solid waste treatment plant and during the past nine months there is no headway in this regard because of absolute non-seriousness of those at the helm of affairs in the Corporation”, they informed.
The intensity of threat to health of people and environment in Kot Bhalwal area can be gauged from the fact that everyday around 400 metric tonnes of garbage is being collected by the Corporation from different parts of Jammu city and dumped at new site in unscientific manner.
When contacted, an officer of the Corporation confirmed that neither any company has been engaged for setting up of plant nor any progress could be made for bioremediation of old site at Bhagwati Nagar.
An officer of Pollution Control Board, on the condition of anonymity said, “we have not been consulted by the Municipal Corporation on bioremediation so far”, adding “even the site at Kot Bhalwal has not been cleared by the Pollution Control Board till date”.
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