Doodh Ganga: From milky waters to cesspool!
Deteriorating condition of Doodh Ganga river in central Kashmir’s Budgam district is a perfect example of official apathy and public greed. Known for its pure waters, the river has turned into a cesspool due to unabated flow of sewage and dumping of solid waste.
Doodh Ganga originates from glaciers of Pir Panjal. Owing to its clear waters, it was called the “Milk River.” The river is the main source of drinking water for Budgam and uptown areas of Srinagar. Ironically, all drains in Budgam flow into the river in absence of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
Till several decades ago Doodh Ganga passed through Srinagar via Aloochi Bagh and Batamaloo. One of its canals also passed through Batamaloo until a few years back, but this was gradually buried under concrete structures, parks and bus stands from Batamaloo to Shalteng. It is shocking that the burial of Doodh Ganga stream was facilitated by authorities. What adds salt to wounds is that the area where the Doodh Ganga’s stream used to flow in Srinagar has been renamed as Doodh Ganga road!
As per official figures, 2.23 MLD of sewage is generated within Budgam district and there is not a single STP. Ironically the entire untreated sewage flows into water bodies including Doodh Ganga.
The National Green Tribunal has taken strong note of the dismal condition of Doodh Ganga and failure of authorities. On February 25, 2025, the NGT constituted a joint committee of the officers of Central Pollution Control Board -CPCB & Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change MoEFCC to undertake on-spot assessment of solid and liquid waste generated in Srinagar city along with Chadoora and Budgam towns.
The committee has been asked to submit the report within eight weeks to the NGT. This order comes after the Housing and Urban Development Department recently didn’t provide satisfactory response to the NGT’s three member bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) in the case of Doodh Ganga pollution filed by noted Kashmir based environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat.
Bhat had filed the case in 2021 and since then the NGT has issued a number of orders which includes imposition of Environmental Compensation on Srinagar Municipal Corporation-SMC, Municipal Committee Chadoora and Municipal Council Budgam. The Geology and mining Department Budgam was also penalised with Rs 1 crore more than two years back.
The Joint Committee has been tasked to visit all the three local bodies— Budgam, Chadoora and Srinagar - and ascertain the status of generation and treatment of solid and liquid waste, number of STPs which are existing, their capacity and capacity utilisation. The NGT has expressed displeasure over failure of the J&K Govt to recover an amount of Rs 46.50 crores from Srinagar Municipal Corporation -SMC, Chadoora and Budgam Municipalities. Out of this amount Rs 41.47 crores was to be recovered from SMC alone, while a penalty of Rs 1.41 crore and Rs 3.72 crore has been imposed on Municipal Committees Chadoora and Budgam respectively for polluting Doodh Ganga and Mamath nallah.
Besides pollution, illegal mining is devastating the hydrology of the river. The extraction of riverbed material by heavy machines from Doodh Ganga is spelling doom on its fragile eco-system. In March last year, the National Green Tribunal imposed an interim penalty of over Rs 15.79 lakh on two contractors for using heavy machinery to undertake riverbed mining in Doodh Ganga near Chadoora town.
On December 22, 2022, the High Court of J&K and Ladakh asked the government to prevent pollution and environmental degradation of Doodganga stream and put a filtration plant over it.
The High Court directed while closing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which the Court had initiated in 2019 after taking cognisance of a news report in Greater Kashmir.
The report had highlighted the deteriorating condition of Doodh Ganga and the Filtration Plant over it. It had also disclosed that heaps of garbage were lying around Dood Ganga Filtration Plant built in the year 1972 which supplies water to more than two lakh people in different areas of Srinagar. After treating the report as PIL, the Court issued notice to the Government for response. Subsequently, several directions were passed on the PIL to ensure that the pollution in and around the Doodhganga Stream and Filtration Plant is eradicated.
The river has been facing extreme vandalisation. The river’s destruction started when its original course was changed for feeding a small hydropower project. Besides wanton felling of trees in catchment areas of Doodh Ganga resulted in heavy influx of silt into the river.
It is not only the case of Doodh Ganga but other water bodies in J&K too. At a time when we are facing extreme effects of climate change, conservation of water bodies is a must. And importantly the conservation of natural resources will be successful with people’s participation. We have to own these water bodies as our survival depends on these.
Author is Executive Editor, Greater Kashmir
