Baramulla, Sep 11 (KNO): The long-standing waste management crisis in north Kashmir's Baramulla and Sopore is set for a major overhaul, with an integrated Solid Waste Management facility proposed at Jetty in Baramulla to scientifically process the waste generated by the two townships.
The proposed facility will include a 50 tonnes per day Material Recovery Facility (MRF), along with 20 tonnes per day composting units. The project is expected to provide a structured mechanism for waste segregation, recovery and processing, reducing the dependence on open dumping at the Jetty site.
Sources within the Urban Local Bodies told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Jetty has been designated as the site for the integrated waste management facility catering to both Baramulla and Sopore.
The development comes amid a severe waste management challenge in the two densely populated and commercially important townships. Baramulla generates around 24 metric tonnes of municipal waste every day, while Sopore produces more than 34 metric tonnes, taking the combined daily generation to around 58 metric tonnes.
In the absence of adequate scientific waste processing infrastructure, a major portion of the waste has been transported to the Jetty site in Baramulla for disposal.
The site, located close to the Jhelum river, has over the years turned into a massive waste accumulation point. Lakhs of metric tonnes of waste are currently accumulated at the site, officials said, highlighting the scale of the problem facing the civic authorities.
The accumulated waste has also become a source of concern for residents living around the area. The presence of large quantities of unprocessed waste has resulted in foul smell and unhygienic conditions, while the site's proximity to the Jhelum has raised environmental concerns.
Garbage has also frequently been seen scattered along roads and open spaces in and around the townships, with civic authorities facing difficulties in handling the steadily increasing volume of municipal waste.
The situation has been particularly challenging for Sopore, which generates around 34 metric tonnes of waste every day but has lacked adequate infrastructure for comprehensive processing and disposal. The township has consequently depended on Baramulla's designated Jetty site for waste disposal.
Officials, however, say the continued dumping at the site is largely a consequence of the lack of alternative infrastructure rather than a deliberate policy of indiscriminate disposal.
"We are not dumping the waste there deliberately, but that is a designated site," an official, wishing anonymity, said.
The official said the government and concerned departments were now working towards creating a systematic mechanism to address the problem. "Remediation works for accumulated waste are underway, while works for the SWM plant will commence soon," the official said.
The remediation work is significant given the huge quantity of legacy waste accumulated at Jetty. The proposed intervention is expected to deal with both the existing waste and the daily generation of fresh municipal waste from Baramulla and Sopore.
The 50 TPD MRF will facilitate the recovery and segregation of recyclable material, while the 20 TPD composting units will process biodegradable waste. The objective is to reduce the quantity of waste requiring final disposal and shift the two townships towards scientific waste management.
For residents, the project could mean an end to years of foul smell, visible waste piles and concerns over waste being accumulated close to a major water body.
With remediation of the accumulated waste already underway as per the Municipal Council and the proposed SWM plant expected to commence soon, authorities are hopeful that Jetty can eventually move from being a major dumping point to a scientifically managed waste processing site.
The project, once completed and fully operational, is expected to provide a long-term waste management mechanism for Baramulla and Sopore and address the crisis created by the daily generation of nearly 58 metric tonnes of municipal waste—(KNO)