While the United Nations has choosen “Beat the Plastic” the theme for this year’s World Environment Day , huge dumps of garbage are found not only in cities, towns and villages across Jammu & Kashmir but also at famed tourist hotspots near parks, gardens and lakes across Jammu & Kashmir. This should not have happened in a region which takes pride in claiming to be the world class tourist destination. Though several campaigns were launched against both the commercial and as well as domestic use of polythene and plastic bags in recent years by the municipal bodies across Jammu & Kashmir but nothing changed the scenario of dirt and dust and even anti-polythene drives did not work. Now on this year’s World Pollution Day debates against the use of polythene and plastic bags are being held in schools, colleges and universities obviously for the purposes of the involvement of youth in drives against use of polythene and plastic bags but this won’t also make any difference in view of the conduct and behaviour of the people both within and outside the Government. While government does not restrict and ban the transportation of polythene and plastic bags from neighbouring states and union territories into Jammu & Kashmir besides their local manufacturing in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division, the people themselves also don’t show wisdom in collecting and disposing off either the polythene or plastic waste. While people in towns and villages carelessly throw polythene and plastic bags even at parks, gardens and lakes at the famed tourist hotspots besides apple orchards across Kashmir, the municipal and panchayat bodies don’t come up with the plans to identify the dumping sites for the disposal of polythene and plastic waste in their concerned areas of jurisdiction. While people are so carelessly contributing to the unprecedented spread of polythene and plastic bags which they even throw into drains and lanes, the municipal bodies don’t bother to even clear the drains blocked by the polythene and plastic waste and this happens with greater intensity even in the twin capital cities Srinagar and Jammu not to talk of major towns and rural areas of both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division.
“Neither the Deputy Commissioners nor the heads of municipal and bodies to take up the challenge of clearing the polythene and plastic mess even after seeing Prime Minister of the country taking broom in his hand to lead the cleanliness drives under the “ Swach Bharat Mission” in metropolitan cities of the country. Similarly Tourism and many other departments maintain the huts the way hoteliers maintain and develop hotels at famed tourist places but neither the Government Departments not the hoteliers clear the poythene and plastic mess from the premises of the huts and hotels rented out by them to tourists by them for huge earnings at such famed tourist places day in and day out. Never forget that scientific disposal of polythene and plastic waste is a greater priority than the garbage lifting as has been demonstrated to a greater extent by Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC) . In a scenario of polythene and plastic mess the personal intervention of the Lt Governor alone can change the cleanliness not only in cities, towns and village but also at famed tourist places near paks, gardens and lakes as he himself in his message on World Environment Day has said that Humanity facing grave challenges of plastic pollution”.
While three tier panchayat system is likely to complete five year term towards the end of the year not even a single village has been declared garbage free so for and similarly not even a single town has been declared garbage free yet despite the fact that elected municipal bodies are also likely to complete their five year term towards end of this year. Deputy Commissioners, Chairpersons of District Development Councils and Chairpersons of municipal bodies are awarded year after year for good work they do in implementing some development projects and public welfare schemes but not for clearing the ploythene and plastic mess in their concerned areas of jurisdiction. Neither the Deputy Commissioners nor the heads of municipal and bodies to take up the challenge of clearing the polythene and plastic mess even after seeing Prime Minister of the country taking broom in his hand to lead the cleanliness drives under the “ Swach Bharat Mission” in metropolitan cities of the country. Similarly Tourism and many other departments maintain the huts the way hoteliers maintain and develop hotels at famed tourist places but neither the Government Departments not the hoteliers clear the poythene and plastic mess from the premises of the huts and hotels rented out by them to tourists by them for huge earnings at such famed tourist places day in and day out. Never forget that scientific disposal of polythene and plastic waste is a greater priority than the garbage lifting as has been demonstrated to a greater extent by Srinagar Municipal Corporation(SMC). In a scenario of polythene and plastic mess the personal intervention of the Lt Governor alone can change the cleanliness not only in cities, towns and village but also at famed tourist places near paks, gardens and lakes as he himself in his message on World Environment Day has said that Humanity facing grave challenges of plastic pollution.
