On Monday evening, on my way back from a wedding reception in the Beerwah area of District Budgam I saw a catchy slogan painted in blue on a newly constructed structure located on the banks of a beautiful stream at Utterpora village. The slogan written in Kashmiri read:
“Kath Boz Kan Thaaw , Aechh Mechraaw , Mahool Bachaav Mahool Bachaav”
“Listen to what I say
Listen properly with your ears
Open your Eyes
Protect your Environment, Protect your Environment!”
After spotting the slogan, I stopped my car. The Kashmiri slogan was written on the waste segregation shed constructed on the banks of Aheji stream which is a tributary of Sukhnag river that originates from Pir Panjal glaciers bordering Poonch district.
This open violation of environmental laws made me restless. I shot a video and clicked some photos so I could bring the matter into the notice of authorities through social media or seek judicial intervention by moving an application in the National Green Tribunal. This was not the first case where I had seen a waste segregation shed having been constructed near a waterbody. Infact, in the Beerwah area alone, I have seen at least 2 to 3 such structures made near rivers, irrigation canals and streams in clear violation of Environmental Protection Act 1986 and Water Act 1974. In March this year, I filed a ground report from Sail village where a similar structure had come up near Sukhnag river.
As a follow-up on April 10th 2023 I wrote a detailed piece titled “Story of Waste Segregation Sheds”. The authorities at the helm were unconcerned and till date no action was taken. Waste is constantly dumped in and around the segregation sheds unscientifically. The segregation shed constructed at Utterpora violates not only the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 but also is also an open violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 .
A recreation spot and a drinking water source
The area where the waste segregation shed has been constructed looks exceptionally beautiful in summers. The water supplied from Sukhnag river to Aheji stream (canal) gushes through this four way junction at Utterpora and people from surrounding villages like Dassan, Latina, Rankipora throng this spot to relax on hot summer evenings. This stream is also a drinking water source for many villages.
The Kashmiri slogan written on the segregation shed at Utterpora has probably been coined by the Directorate of Rural Sanitation J&K Govt as the name of this Govt department is clearly mentioned, but unfortunately they are themselves violating what all is mentioned in this slogan. The Block Development Officer Sukhnag block has released the funds to the panchayat for this shabby construction. I am sure that the executing agency would not have obtained any consent from the Gram Sabha (Deh Majlis) which is mandatory otherwise.
JKPCC being a bystander
Why is the J&K Pollution Control Committee -JKPCC, which is under direct control of the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB, mum over the illegal construction of waste segregation sheds that have been constructed in different villages of J&K in the last one year? JKPCC previously called J&K Pollution Control Board (PCB) has a clear mandate to intervene as this violates the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.The fact of the matter is that Central and State Pollution Control Boards have been set up under this legislation only. Had these constructions been done by private entities the PCC team would have shut them down and even penalized the offenders. Private schools dairy farm units and even small business establishments are asked to get a non objection certificate -NOC from Pollution Control Committee or Boards but getting an NOC for construction of segregation sheds in rural areas under Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) isn’t made mandatory at all. Why isn’t it so?
Waste isn’t segregated in segregation sheds
The J&K Rural Development Department or its sister concern the Rural Sanitation Department which is also the Mission Directorate for SBM Gramin in J&K calls these waste collection points “Segregation Sheds”. Not even 10 kg of waste is being segregated or processed daily in these so-called segregation sheds. They have been constructed only to utilize the funds (Rs 5.60 lakhs approximately) made available by Govt of India for each Gram Panchayat under SBM Gramin phase II. Even the trash bins which were supplied to villages are filled with trash and there is no service available to clear them. These waste segregation sheds have simply become waste dump sites . Many sheds are completely empty as they are located at odd locations where nobody even carries the waste.
A Suggestion
Through my writeup, columns or reports I not only criticize the Govt but also suggest solutions as well. Sometimes our suggestions are well taken and recently the Lt Governor J&K Mr Manoj Sinha in his monthly radio programme, Awam Ki Awaz, took the suggestion of my colleague Mushtaq Ahmad Lone very seriously. Mushtaq had suggested that religious leaders be involved in sanitation and waste management work so as to make it a people’s movement (Jab Abhiyan). LG Manoj Sinha said that he would ensure these suggestions are taken seriously.
If the Govt of India is already providing Rs 5500 through local Panchayats for construction of compost pits in every house to treat the biodegradable waste, kitchen waste and food waste and Rs 11000 are provided to set up soakage pits for treating liquid waste, why shall then the mixed waste (kitchen waste and plastic waste etc) be carried to the segregation shed? These sites have now become new waste dump yards as it emits foul smell and dogs can be seen around due to dumping of food / kitchen waste. The segregation sheds should have been named as Material Recovery Facilities -MRFs and Rs 5.60 lakhs from three to four panchayats (Rs 22 lakhs + ) could have jointly helped to make a better facility at a centrally located place.
As a student of waste management and climate action, I believe that only Non-biodegradable waste like pet bottles, recyclable plastic and hazardous waste like used diapers or sanitary pads and waste plastic should be taken to the segregation shed or MRF. This dry waste could again be segregated and given to rag pickers or local unemployed youth which would generate revenue as well. The hazardous waste like sanitary pads and diapers are to be incinerated (burned at high temperature), but unfortunately we don’t even see a single incinerator set up in any village.
At least one gas incinerator could have been established in a cluster of 3 to 4 villages ( MRF) which would not cost more than 7 to 8 lakh rupees. Had these waste segregation sheds and incinerators been set up in a cluster model it would have saved the taxpayer’s money and provided a solution to waste disposal as well.
Conclusion
By setting up so-called waste segregation sheds in villages, the Government agencies or PRIs involved in its construction have threatened water bodies, violated environmental laws and flouted solid waste management rules. The waste is neither treated nor segregated at these locations. Even after spending billions of rupees made available to J&K by the Govt of India, the end result is zero.
Let the Mission Director SBM Gramin J&K show a single village where we see waste being managed as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 (MSW Rules). The slogans coined by Rural Sanitation Department/Mission Directorate SMB Gramin are being violated by them openly. For the information of Govt and readers, these rules are applicable to PRIs and rural areas as well as per Rule 13 (1) of MSW Rules 2016. The Pollution Control Committee J&K also needs to give an explanation as to why it failed to check these lapses especially not asking the Mission Director SBM Gramin to obtain NOC before setting up the waste segregation sheds. The Irrigation , Flood Control, Fisheries and PHE Jal Shakti departments also could have resisted when these structures were set up near water bodies but they seem to be unaware.
Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer
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