Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
The Swacch Bharat Mission (Urban) has a special mention about preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for management of solid waste across cities and towns. Except Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) most of the local bodies that includes Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees / Town Area Committees (TAC) have failed to prepare these DPR’s. The DPRs were to be prepared as per Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. As the DPR’s have not been prepared , it has added to the problems of managing solid waste in towns across J&K. In almost all the towns of state , local municipalities have miserably failed to scientifically treat the waste, which is either thrown into water-bodies or forest areas.
What SBM Guidelines say ?
According to Swatch Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U) guidelines Local Bodies / Municipalities are supposed to prepare the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for Solid waste management for their towns in consultation with state Governments. Smaller cities have been directed to form clusters to become viable entities to attract private investment. 100% Cost reimbursement for preparing the DPR is taken care of by Govt of India. The State Governments have been asked to handhold the local bodies so that these DPRs are prepared within short span of time. The Government can empanel technical agencies for preparing the DPRs on Solid Waste Management.
NGT report :
A report submitted before National Green Tribunal (NGT) only a few years back had revealed that J&K state has 100 percent open dumping of Municipal Solid Waste by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and all the Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees which are 90 plus in number. Due to lack of scientific waste management policy in state , the Solid Waste is dumped in open spaces not only in Srinagar or Jammu cities , but in all the 91 smaller Municipalities as well (Municipal Councils and Committees). The NGT report had given 31st rank to Jammu & Kashmir state with regard to Solid Waste Management policy. Goa , Kerala and Tamil Nadu were declared as three best states and ranked 1 , 2 and 3 respectively vis a vis scientific management of solid waste. The report had clearly said that J&K state neither has any facility of door to door collection of solid waste and source segregation. The report added that composting of bio degradable waste was also not done in any city or town of J&K which is a matter of serious concern. It is worthwhile to mention that Municipal Committee Budgam has recently begun to undertake door to door collection of garbage and segregation at source in its 5 wards. The work began from Mid November and the Municipal Committee in association with a private solid waste management organization is executing this pilot project in the town. It is worthwhile to mention here that Tamil Nadu has more than 500 composting units where organic compost is made from of bio degradable waste material.
Similarly in other states at an average 30 to 40 such units exist, but in an environmentally fragile state of Jammu & Kashmir no such compositing unit exists (except one in Budgam) .
SWM Rules 2016 :
In April 2016 Government of India came up with new set of Solid Waste Management Rules. These Rules are now applicable beyond Municipal areas and extend to urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, places of pilgrims, religious & historical importance as well.
The source segregation of waste has been mandated to channelize the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle. Integration of waste pickers/ rag-pickers and waste dealers/ Kabadiwalas in the formal system is to be done by State Governments.
No person is allowed to throw, burn, or bury the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open public spaces outside his premises, or in the drain, or water bodies.
Used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads should be wrapped securely in pouches provided by manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a suitable wrapping material and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste / non- bio-degradable waste.
All hotels and restaurants should segregate biodegradable waste and set up a system of collection or follow the system of collection set up by local body to ensure that such food waste is utilized for composting / bio-methanation.
The bio-degradable waste is to be processed, treated and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible. The residual waste shall be given to the waste collectors or agency as directed by the local authority.
New townships and Group Housing Societies have been made responsible to develop in-house waste handling, and processing arrangements for bio-degradable waste.
Every street vendor should keep suitable containers for storage of waste generated during the course of his activity such as food waste, disposable plates, cups, cans, wrappers, coconut shells, leftover food, vegetables, fruits etc. and deposit such waste at waste storage depot or container or vehicle as notified by the local authority.
Manufacturers or Brand Owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkins and diapers have to explore the possibility of using all recyclable materials in their products or they shall provide a pouch or wrapper for disposal of each napkin or diapers along with the packet of their sanitary products. All such manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies should educate the masses for wrapping and disposal of their products.
Conclusion :
The process of door to door collection of garbage and its source segregation has to be taken up without any delay by Municipal bodies (SMC , JMC and all ULB’s) . Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on the direction of Chief Minister has already started a pilot activity in some areas of Srinagar city after we took up the issue with her recently.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan is personally monitoring this activity on day today basis. It is urged upon Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh who also holds the charge of Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) to call a stake holders conference on Solid Waste Management so that door to door collection of garbage and its source segregation is made mandatory across the state.
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