Filthy and forgotten: Kakapora struggles without basic sanitation

Kakapora, Feb : With streams and drains choking with household waste, Kakapora tehsil , 9 kms from south Kashmir's Pulwama town presents a grim picture of official neglect and indifference.

"You can see mountains of muck lying at multiple locations of the area", said Ghulam Hassan,  a resident.The Tehsil, comprising 60 villages, lacks proper waste management, leaving the residents with no choice but to litter on the streets.  "In the absence of adequate dustbins, the residents throw the garbage on streets", said Ali Mohammad, a resident and Kakapora Sanitation Chairman.

He, however, said that under the Swachh Bharat Mission ( SBM), the authorities established a mini plastic recycling unit in the area. "However, it could only process the solid waste  maximum of 100 households", said Ali.

Many residents allege that the door to door garbage collection vehicles  dump the waste on the streets and sometimes throw them in streams and drains. A quick look at the town reveals drainage and streams clogged with plastic. "The plastic waste is choking and polluting these water bodies", said the residents. The residents said that the issue  needed immediate attention.

The residents also complained about the lack of toilets in the town, causing tremendous inconveniences to them, particularly  those visiting the tehsil headquarters.

"In the absence of a toilet complex, women endure the immense hardships", said the residents.

A female student told Greater Kashmir that the lack of washrooms sometimes caused much embarrassment to them. "I choose to visit the town with an empty bladder”, she said.