B’pora Municipality encroach cricket stadium to dump solid wastes

Fearing epidemic outbreak, locals appeal Govt to intervene

SUHAIL RATHER

Bandipora, Oct 19 (PTK) Bandipora Municipal Council (BMC) has put
hundreds of lives in risk by dumping solid waste in open and without
taking any preventive measures or scientific treatment to it.

Sources said in official records BMC is possessing 5 Kanals and 10
Marlas of land for garbage dumping but the ground reality is quite
contradictory. They said in recent years the Council has encroached
upon near about 200 Kanals of land in the vicinity of Bandipora town
on the banks of Wular lake.

BMC dumps the solid wastes in a cricket stadium in Nussu which
according to sources have been illegally encroached by the council.

“We used to play State level tournaments in the Nusso stadium but BMC
is now dumping garbage on one end of the stadium and destroyed the
stadium,” local youths said alleging that successive government failed
to develop the place into a stadium. “height of ignorance is that
firstly  government failed to develop stadium and secondly they even
failed to protect the land,” said Muzamil Ahmad adding that now people
living near the site are thinking of migrating from the place as it is
risking their lives.

The dumping of garbage over such area in open is not only threat to
human life but may seriously harm the aquatic life of wular lake.

BMC administers 17 wards and 50 tons of garbage is collected daily and
is dumped in open near Wullar Basin. An official said in 2008 the
local municipal committee had to send a DPR to Central government for
waste management but the then elected Chairman of the committee
Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi failed to submit a proposal. “There negligence left
Bandipora without proper management system and government also could
not propose alternative management of waste,” they added
Locals alleged that Municipal Council have funds allocation of worth
crores from State as well as Central sector but it has failed to
provide better services to public in all walks of life whether it is
street lighting or proper drainage system.

The foul smell at the site has kept the local youth away from the
Zalwan (Nussu) stadium and has also become a life threat as people
fear outbreak of epidemic with the onset of summer. “Every year the
adjoining areas witness outbreak of epidemics and this year will be no
different,” local added.

Locals appeal the Deputy Commissioner Bandipora to intervene in the matter so that
people won’t suffer in future. Youths also appealed Lt Governor to
restore the stadium so that they can play in the Zalwan stadium again.(PTK)