To save Kashmir, we have to export Kashmiri habits out of there
67% City Dwellers Throw Waste in Water Bodies, Lanes: Report
Asem Mohiuddin (Rising Kashmir)
Srinagar: As many as 67 percent people in Srinagar city throw away waste and garbage in water bodies and public places like roads, lanes and by-lanes, reveals a report of Environment Committee 2011-12.
“Only 23 per cent use dustbins provided by the SMC,” the report quotes the door-to-door survey conducted by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
However, according to the report, SMC claims to have initiated massive campaigns by involving NGOs, schools and community-based organizations to educate the masses to make use of dustbins.
As per the report Dal Lake and Brari Nambal Lagoon suffer the most due to the people’s un-civic nature.
To preserve these water bodies, SMC claims to have launched cleanliness drive of those unattended areas around the Dal Lake and Brari Numbal Lagoon.
“With the help of special boats like Kuchues, the SMC has launched a drive for the retrieval of polythene and solid waste from these water bodies,” the report reads.
What has been the major hurdle for SMC in conducting cleanliness drive efficiently is shortage of scavengers.
It has said in the report that SMC had only 2700 scavengers against the requirement of 3700 thus posing a major challenge to keep all areas clean and hygienic.
The report also reveals that SMC has inadequate, old and outdated fleet available to transfer the garbage to the dumping sites.
Even though the Pollution Control Board has lodged FIRs against many hospitals and served notices for failing to use modern treatment plants for bio-medical waste treatment, the committee said PCB, Health department and concerned agencies need to do a lot to ensure an eco-friendly environment.
“Despite the directions of Supreme Court to ensure use of modern Bio-Medical Treatment Plants by hospitals, work done by the Health Department, PCB and other concerned agencies is not up to the mark and all have to put lots of efforts to ensure eco-friendly environment,” the committee rued.
The committee said that the State not only lacks modern devices and equipment but also faces shortage of manpower required in the process of bio-medical waste management.
“The comprehensive action plan is required for the treatment of bio-medical waste. The sufficient budgetary provision is also required for the purpose of management of bio-medical waste of hospitals,” the committee suggests.
Interestingly, hundreds of crores of rupees have been pumped in for last many years to preserve the water bodies especially the Dal Lake, Wular and Hokersar.