Our union territory has been made garbage dump and each one is seeing as a mute spectator. There are environmental regulations by which quality of streams, lakes is protect but solid waste in the form of garbage ends up in surface waters. In urban areas dry solid waste is often transported by storm water runoff and in rural areas these items are illegally dumped into a water body or along river banks. At some instances discarded items tires, plastic containers provide habitat to water living organisms. The most common litter in streams is household, trash, plastic cups, plastic bottles etc plastics are hazardous to human as well as wild life. Trash travels through rivers and oceans all over the world. The debris formed are harmful to physical habitats, it transports chemical pollutants and is a threat to the aquatic animals. Plastic and polythene trash has the greatest potential to harm the human and wild life and environment. It is found in almost all water bodies. It is transported and reaches to oceans and moves with currents. It is often eaten by fish and birds by which toxic chemical are formed in their tissues. Another major issue is the improper disposal of trash, raw –sewage and chemicals by tourists, hotels and others. It makes destinations much attractive tourism generates a large amount of single use plastic waste and is a problem for local disposal system. Food waste is also a problem.
Improper disposal of sewage pollutes our waterways: Pollution can have serious health effects and it damages the quality of life of local residents. It effects the scenic areas due to trash that is left behind in parks. Instead of disposing of garbage at a dumping ground the Municipal and town area committees at various places are throwing garbage into rivers or near the bank of rivers. Author as a daily connecter on Doru-Anantnag road sees fresh garbage in river Jehlum at Ashajiporabridge in Anantnag town and at NallahSandran (river Jehlum) bridge near Government Model Hospital Dooru. Local populace complain that by doing so they have to face many problems. The passers by complained that they feel inconvenience due to the foul smell created by dumping this garbage in these waterbodies. In Doru town the concerned authorities after collecting garbage from various parts of the town, directly dump the same near the river bank at SandranQadil. This practice is going on for the last many years. Same is the situation in rural areas of Kashmir valley. In author’s own village-NadoraKralanad the locals collect the garbage in the small dustbuns made of plastic and later dumps the garbage in a river that almost remains full of water round the year known as DehgamKoul (as it irrigates the land of ten villages). As expected due to heavy flow of water in this river the garbage that is in the shape household trash including plastic bags, cups, wrapping, plastic bottles reach to our paddy fields, vegetable gardens and apple orchards resulting the soil of these lands becomes barren. Second reason is that our Municipal Committees have very few Safai workers available resulting heaps of garbage remain piled up on the roadside. Some urban areas have no proper dumping sites. We are aware there is plenty of state/shamilat land available especially in rural areas. It will remain suitable if the authorities allot less than two kanals of this land at a suitable place to gram panchayats in the rural areas and these places will be called as dumping sites but it should be far from water bodies and preference should be given to the land if available outside the habitation. In Kashmir valley markets Graveyards, vacant migrants land, riverbanks, roadsides, even water bodies and all sites that remain filled with heaps of garbage. Kashmir is known due to its springs, streams and lush green hills Almighty has given it a breath-taking scenery and fresh air. But we add tons of garbage everyday in our areas, remaining blind spoil the beauty this place once called “Jannet e Benazir”. I think we have conflict with the pleasant air as we know we can live without food for few days but cannot live a nano-second without air. Who is responsible for this? Who is changing this paradise on earth into Hell?
The answer lies in the entire brains of all citizens but everyone is watching like a mute spectator. Need of the hour is to close our eyes and ask ourselves who is responsible. The answer will come,”we all are culprits”. We have not to blame outsiders. We are responsible for it. We have polluted the paradise on Earth for this a Kashmiri will be responsible. It is stunning when you will read that an important waterbody namely (Gochwal) that irrigates thousands of kanals of paddy land and has verinag spring as its original source is keeping metric tonnes of garbage in it that has been dumped by the villages who are residing adjoining or near its banks.
Administration dose out sermons of cleanliness of these water bodies but common people are aware that there are metric tons of waste generated per day and that goes straight into the rivers which is the foremost reason why a single day’s rain causes a flood like situation. It the situation regarding spreading of garbage continues like the present scenario our land will become a wasteland with each passing day. It is the cruelty with Kashmir by its natives “Kashmiris”. I suggest few ways to reduce this pollution Runoff.
(a) Harmful household items should be disposed off properly.
(b) Oils, paint, solvents, preservatives and drugs should not be poured down.
(c) Septic systems should be inspected to ensure proper functioning.
(d) Involve and educate your family members and villagers by using Bay – friendly landscaping on community property.
(e) Participate in a local training for solving environmental problems.
Best way to protect a stream or river from pollution is to prevent it at the source. Keep trash out of yards and streets. Throwing of plastic bags and other garbage into water bodies must be checked. People should say no to throwing of garbage and wastes in steams, rivers and other water bodies. Safe water is the backbone of the healthy economy clean water supply is must. The responsibility of dumping garbage in the urban areas lies with Municipal corporation/Council. It should be checked. The M.C. under all conditions, must attend immediately to resident’s concerns and undertake remedial measures and in rural areas where the majority of people are not aware about the garbage dumping panchayat’s will play an active role. Rural Development Department can choose a place as “garbage and dumping site” and the Revenue Department can allot the land (State/Shamilat) which ever is possible even two adjacent villagers can have one dumping site. If this will be done in Jammu & Kashmir, it will be the main outcome of the (Back to Village-4). No doubt government has done a lot about this crucial issue but the common people are not co-operating with the government fully in the context and watch merely a mute spectator. We have crossed all barriers in disturbing the fragile balance of this “paradise” we have to bear the disastrous effects. We should think for a while if this continues what will be our answer to the coming generations?
(Author is a freelancer. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are author’s own and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon.)
