SRINAGAR, JAN 03 (PTK): Signifying failure of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to put in place effective measures for solid waste management, a passenger shed has been turned into garbage dump in different parts of Srinagar city.
Residents said that tons of stinking garbage has been dumped at the passenger shed causing inconvenience to pedestrians. “The problem is compounded by presence of stray dogs who rummage through the accumulated garbage” , they added.
“Pungent smell emanates from the garbage dump making it difficult for pedestrians including women and aged to pass near the passenger shed,” said Farooq Ahmad Wani, a local from Karannagar.
“The stray dogs present at the garbage dump pose risk to pedestrians. Many persons have been bitten by the canines at the spot,” said Muhammad Iqbal Khan, an employee at private company in Lal Chowk.
“Solid waste is not just dumped at the land filling site, but one can find it everywhere. Srinagar was recently ranked among the dirtiest cities in India. The government needs to address the solid waste issue, otherwise it will start stinking and no tourist will visit here,” said a resident of Rajbagh, Arif Ahmad.
The residents of nearby localities protested for weeks together last year, demanding scientific treatment of the waste and shifting of the dumping site, reasoning health and environmental concerns.
“Heaps of waste lying at the site becomes a danger when water dissolves toxic waste materials and contaminates it. The waste needs to be scientifically treated,” said Saima Hameed, a resident of Batamaloo.
With almost population of 12.36 lakh, spread over an area of 294 sq km on both sides of the Jhelum river, not even in a single residential area or commercial establishment in Srinagar has the facility of segregation of solid waste, and much of the waste is dumped into water bodies like the Dal Lake.
The Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016 lay special emphasis on source segregation of waste that mandates to channelise the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycle.
All hotels and restaurants have been directed to segregate biodegradable waste and set up a system of collection, but the rules are being bypassed in Srinagar and many hotels and houseboat owners dump waste directly into the water bodies.
In Srinagar, 75 to 80 per cent of the municipal waste gets collected and out of this not even 5 per cent of waste is processed or treated. (PTK)
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