Budgam, Mar 27 (KNO): Residents of rural areas of Central Kashmir's Budgam district are facing a severe waste management crisis, with road sides and several designated dustbin sites turning into dumping sites despite numerous government initiatives, while the situation has raised significant environmental and health concerns.
The news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) has found that several places in rural areas of district Budgam are struggling with the issue of waste management, with villages, roadsides, and recently installed dustbin sites becoming overwhelmed with garbage.
Despite the implementation of various government schemes, the problem persists, highlighting a collective failure to safeguard the environment.
As per the data, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen initiative, as many as 6,535 waste collection and segregation sheds were constructed in the UT as part of the initiative and around 50,000 dustbins, soak pits, compost pits were set up for the first time to manage solid liquid waste. However, despite these efforts, the intended waste segregation and disposal processes have not been effectively executed.
Government officials had envisioned residents segregating their waste and depositing it in designated dustbins, which would then be transported to the sheds for composting. However, the reality is far from this ideal scenario.
Instead, residents are filling the sheds indiscriminately with various types of waste, including sanitary pads, food items, plastic items, medical waste, electronic waste, and other things.
“Given dustbins are either overflowing or have been taken back to various places. Locals throw trash everywhere—including in local rivers, canals, and roadsides—because there is no effective waste management solution in place, putting at risk our environment constantly.'' said Chadoora resident Mushtaq Ahmad.
The surplus trash bins in several villages paint a grim picture of the situation, with sanitation standards plummeting due to prolonged neglect. Both locals and officials are being held accountable for the worsening condition, emphasizing the urgent need for action.
"We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating waste management situation in our district," said Manzoor Ahmad, a local resident from Budgam. "It is disheartening to see our beautiful villages marred by garbage, and it is high time we all take responsibility for our actions."
Another resident Nisar Ahmad Malik from Beerwah echoed the sentiment, stating, "We urge both the residents and officials to work together to address this crisis. It is imperative that we act responsibly and dispose of our waste properly in designated soakage and compost pits."
KNO spoke with Anoo Malhotra, the Director General of Rural Sanitation for J&K, and she assured to look into the matter while sanitising the areas until the first week of April. "I recently visited a number of districts, and in every case the issue was resolved and the department continues to work on it. If there are any concerns in Budgam district, I will take action and ensure that the garbage is removed till the first week of April," she said—(KNO)