J&K’s Wasteland: How Its Valleys, Rivers and Lakes Became Garbage Dumps

Out of 4,291 gram panchayats in J&K, not even 1% is undertaking a scientific waste management programme. Due to this official inefficiency and misgovernance, the mountains and water bodies in the state are on the verge of destruction as non-biodegradable waste gets accumulated in huge numbers around forests, rivers, lakes, glaciers and mountain valleys, writes RAJA MUZAFFAR BHAT

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TREATMENT of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is a challenging task for civic authorities in India. Due to lack of accountability and official mismanagement, the municipal authorities in J&K who have to enforce MSW Rules-2016 are themselves disposing of solid and liquid waste unscientifically. The waste is either dumped around lakes, water bodies or rivers. In many towns and tourist spots, municipal bodies and local tourism development authorities discard plastic waste inside forest areas. This is causing a serious threat to both forests and wildlife. The government in J&K should have set up scientific waste management facilities, which, in fact, is not a challenging task. 

Rural Waste Management 

During the 2019-20 annual budget, a  mere Rs 4 crore was allocated by the government for rural waste management in J&K and only Rs 464 crore was allocated to 91 urban local bodies (municipal committees and councils). The money available under Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM Gramin) has remained unutilised as not even two dozen villages have been provided scientific waste management facilities by the government.

The Department of Rural Development, which controls the Mission Directorate of SBM Gramin in J&K, failed to even hire qualified consultants at the state and district level. These technocrats, as per SBM-Gramin guidelines, are supposed to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for execution of solid-liquid resource management projects in each panchayat. In many districts and blocks, DPRs have been prepared by officials of rural development, but the projects have not been executed on ground.  

During the 2019-20 annual budget, a  mere Rs 4 crore was allocated by the government for rural waste management in J&K and only Rs 464 crore was allocated to 91 urban local bodies. The money available under Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin has remained unutilised as not even two dozen villages have been provided scientific waste management facilities by the government.

Out of 4,291 gram panchayats in J&K, not even 1% is undertaking a scientific waste management programme. Due to this official inefficiency and misgovernance, the mountains and water bodies in the state are on the verge of destruction as non-biodegradable waste gets accumulated in huge numbers around forests, rivers, lakes, glaciers and mountain valleys. Not only cities and towns in J&K, but even villages have turned into garbage dumps. Unfortunately, the government has failed to utilise the money available for rural waste management programme.

BUDGAM BEREFT  

In January this year, I filed an RTI application in the office of the deputy commissioner, Budgam, seeking information about its rural waste management programme. I wanted information about the number of  projects taken up under the SBM-Gramin for managing solid and liquid waste in rural areas of the district. I asked for a complete list of villages where collection, segregation and treatment of solid and liquid waste  was undertaken as mandated under the Solid Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) programme. 

My application was forwarded to the district panchayat officer (DPO) who is the nodal officer for SBM Gramin. The response provided by the DPO was shocking. Out of 17 blocks and more than 296 village panchayats in Budgam district, there was not even a single village where waste management was undertaken by the local panchayat under SBM Gramin. The official reply issued through letter No: DPO/Bud/3613-14 on February 15, 2021 by the DPO Budgam reads as follows:

“In reply to your RTI application point no 4 it is informed that 17 (seventeen) projects  (one for each block) were taken in hand for SLRM under SBM as per the list enclosed as Annexure A . The DPR’s stand submitted to this office, out of which two were approved by the office of Deputy Commissioner Budgam. However the same couldn’t be executed as locals raised objection for the execution.”

I am unable to understand why only 17 villages were selected out of 296 village panchayat’s for undertaking solid waste management. It is an irony that out of 17 DPRs submitted, only two were approved, which also were not executed. The net result with regard to SLRM in district Budgam is zero. This is the case with almost all 20 districts. I haven’t heard of a single village where waste management was done by the government through local panchayats. 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

For taking up waste management projects, the centre provides a one-time grant to each village, depending upon the population of the gram panchayat (GP). The government can even club two-three GPs at a centralised place and execute the project so that funds meant for three villages are utilised together. The total assistance under SBM Gramin for SLRM projects is worked out on the basis of total number of households in each GP, subject to a maximum of Rs 7 lakh for a GP having up to 150 households, Rs 12 lakh up to 300 households, Rs 15 lakh up to 500 households and Rs 20 lakh for those with more than 500 households.

I am unable to understand why only 17 villages were selected out of 296 village panchayat’s for undertaking solid waste management. It is an irony that out of 17 DPRs submitted, only two were approved, which also were not executed. 

“In the case of J&K, each gram panchayat is entitled for Rs 15 lakh each. If three villages are clubbed, then an amount of Rs 45 lakh can be utilised to set up a small plant where non-biodegradable waste can be brought and processed. For six months to a year, it will be a challenge. But once the old plastic waste is processed and disposed off scientifically, then to process fresh waste is not a challenge. This is because not more than 20 to 30 kg plastic waste or other non- biodegradable waste like diapers , sanitary napkins, etc,  are generated by each village in J&K on an average. To treat this daily by destroying it at a very high temperature or even recycling it is not a big issue. Treatment of organic waste such as from the kitchen is not a challenge in villages as that is used to feed domestic animals or even composted in kitchen gardens,” said Syed Imtiaz Ali, a Bhopal-based waste management expert. 

 Funding for an SLWM project under SBM Gramin is provided by the central and state government in the ratio of 75:25. Any additional cost requirement is to be met with funds from the state/GP, and from other sources such as the Finance Commission, CSR activities, Swachh Bharat Khosh and through the PPP model. There is even a provision to use government funds which remain unutilised in the district plan from any department. Unfortunately, successive governments in J&K were never serious about waste management. 

WASTE IN DOODH GANGA 

Clean water and sanitation are one of the important constituents of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). They were recognised as human rights by the UN General Assembly during its session in 2010. Having spent my childhood around Doodh Ganga, I feel shocked to see heaps of solid waste lying scattered on its banks. I can’t blame only the locals as the government has provided no alternative for collection and disposal of solid waste in rural areas. 

In spite of the fact that SBM-Gramin has a well-defined programme for rural waste management under SLRM, the district administration of Budgam has failed to implement this scheme on ground. During the much hyped Back to Village programmes, this issue was highlighted by the local residents of Wathoora Budgam before the visiting officers last year, but the district administration could not execute the plan. 

Liquid waste continues to pollute Doodh Ganga in Chadoora town as small drains of the town get drained into this water-body. Ironically, the same water is then lifted at Kralpora (5 kms downstream) by the Jal Shakti department and supplied to more than five lakh residents in Humhama, Hyderpora, Pir Bagh, Rawalpora, Bagh e Mehtab, Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar and Budgam. 

Having spent my childhood around Doodh Ganga, I feel shocked to see heaps of solid waste lying scattered on its banks. I can’t blame only the locals as the government has provided no alternative for collection and disposal of solid waste in rural areas. 

When I requested a local newspaper to file a report on this issue in August 2019 before the abrogation of Article 370, the chief justice of J&K High Court took suo moto cognisance of the issue by treating the matter as a PIL. The government constituted a committee some months back under the supervision of the divisional commissioner, Kashmir, to check pollution in Doodh Ganga. A formal order was issued by the General Administration Department in this regard on November 20, 2020 through government order No: 1055-JK(GAD) of 2020. 

In January this year, I sought further updates from DC Budgam under RTI about the number of meetings held on cleaning of Doodh Ganga by the district administration, but I have got no response. This small river is neat and clean, having crystal-clear water as it flows through meadows and glaciers of Pir Panjal mountains. But after covering around 35 km, the water gets polluted and the government seems to have no plans to address this issue.   

 INTERVENTION BY NGT 

When the government failed miserably to clear waste around Kashmir’s famous wetland Hokersar, I went to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to seek its indulgence. Hokersar, located near the outskirts of Srinagar,  was declared a wetland of international repute (Ramsar site) several years back. The NGT directed the divisional commissioner, Kashmir, to consider my suggestions regarding utilising funds available under SBM-Gramin so that solid waste management could be taken up in the wetlands on a regular basis.

The petition, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat v/s J&K Govt, was listed before the NGT’s Principal Bench headed by Justice AK Goel on August 27, 2020.  I had suggested that NGT collaborate with the Wildlife Conservation Department and Rural Sanitation Department so that solid waste management around Hokersar wetland and the adjoining villages of Soibugh, Sharifabad and Hajibagh could be taken up.

The NGT order further reads: “Let further action be taken by the joint Committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir. The above suggestions be duly considered and acted upon, to the extent found viable. We also direct that the National Wetlands Committee may compile data of status of compliance of environmental norms in respect of all significant wetlands in the country to ensure remedial action. The State PCBs/PCCs and State/UT Wetland Authorities in India may give the status of management of wetlands in their respective States to the Secretary, MoEF&CC within three months. On that basis a joint Committee of the Secretary and Chairman CPCB may give a consolidated report to this Tribunal before the next date by e-mail at [email protected] preferably in the form of searchable PDF/ OCR Support PDF and not in the form of Image PDF.”

LACKADAISICAL GOVT

In spite of the clear direction by NGT last year, till date the government has not acted. More than six months have passed, I haven’t seen any work being taken up jointly by the Rural Sanitation Department and the Wildlife Conservation Department which looks after Hokersar wetland. I will be filing a counter response before NGT. 

After the abrogation of Article 370, J&K was declared a Union Territory with administrative control from Delhi. Even after such a huge legislative change, the government is not able to even implement schemes like SBM in J&K or to clean up its towns and villages. How then can we expect other changes in J&K that will make the lives of its people better? 

In spite of the clear direction by NGT last year, till date the government has not acted. More than six months have passed, I haven’t seen any work being taken up jointly by the Rural Sanitation Department and the Wildlife Conservation Department which looks after Hokersar wetland. I will be filing a counter response before NGT. 

The centre has to be answerable to us. Out of 4,200 village panchayats in J&K, why has not a single waste management project been made operational in the last 18 months? If the centre can’t give us azadi from solid waste, what moral authority does it have to claim that after scrapping J&K’s special status, it is moving fast on the path of development?

(Raja Muzaffar Bhat is Srinagar-based activist, columnist and independent researcher and is an Acumen India fellow as well. The views expressed are personal.)