Srinagar- The Achan landfill site in Srinagar, long criticized for its environmental and health hazards, has once again come under scrutiny following an inspection by the Joint Committee, constituted by National Green Tribunal -NGT some months back after a petition was moved by Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat a noted RTI & Environmental Activist.
The Joint Committee was constituted by NGT in May this year after Raja Muzaffar Bhat moved a formal application before the tribunal against unscientific waste disposal at Achan Saidapora area of Srinagar by Srinagar Municipal Corporation-SMC.
The Joint Committee comprising of members from Central Pollution Control Board, National Wetlands Committee under Ministry of Environment , JK Pollution Control Committee and Deputy Commissioner Srinagar had visited the site in July this year and prepared the report. The report was submitted before NGT a day before the case hearing on Wednesday a copy of which was accessed by Kashmir Observer
The report which is signed by Dr Narinder Sharma Regional Director CPCB Chandigarh, Prof Sanjay Deshmukh Mumbai University and Member National Wetlands Committee, Ghansham Singh , Member Secretary JK Pollution Control Committee-JKPCC and Dr Bilal Mohiudeen Deputy Commissioner / District Magistrate Srinagar reveals massive apses in waste management, highlighting the dire need for immediate action to address the escalating crisis.
According to the committee’s observations, Srinagar generates approximately 600 metric tons (MT) of waste daily. However, only 5 percent of this waste is segregated at the household level, with around 100 MT being manually segregated at the site. The remaining 475 MT of mixed, unsegregated waste is dumped daily at the landfill, resulting in an estimated accumulation of 14 lakh MT of legacy waste over the past eight years.
A critical issue identified during the inspection was the complete non-functionality of several key waste processing facilities. The mechanical segregator, with a capacity of 100 tons per day, was found out of order, forcing workers to rely on inefficient manual segregation. Additionally, all three leachate treatment plants-LTPs , with a combined capacity of 120 kiloliters per day -KLD were non-operational, as were borewells meant to monitor groundwater quality.
Other defunct facilities included a fecal sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 130 KLD per day and a septage treatment plant, both of which are vital for managing waste byproducts.
According to the Joint Committee report, the lack of functional leachate collection systems has led to untreated leachate flowing directly into a drain connected to Anchar Lake, situated just 500 meters from the landfill.
“This poses a severe threat to the lake’s fragile ecosystem and compromises the safety of groundwater in the area. The green belt around the site, intended to serve as a buffer zone to mitigate environmental damage, was found insufficient, while the access roads leading to the site were in a deteriorated state, further complicating waste management operations.” The joint committee report states.
Pertinently, the local residents of Achan Saidpora, particularly members of the Social Welfare Committee of Zoonimar had submitted a memorandum during the inspection, voicing their concerns about the severe health risks posed by the landfill.
“Foul odors and pollution emanating from the site have led to widespread complaints of respiratory and other health issues. The residents called for immediate remediation of the legacy waste and urgent measures to reduce water and air pollution caused by the dumping practices,” the members had urged in a memorandum.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
