GCC expresses concern about solid waste disposal

Srinagar, June 29: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) Saturday expressed concern about solid waste disposal, flagging environmental concerns in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded the attention of the government.

The GCC which is a non-political coalition of civil society comprising retired civil servants and professionals from different fields met at Srinagar to discuss important public issues and problems being faced by the public in Jammu and Kashmir and deliberated on solid waste disposal.

The GCC expressed concern about the lack of adequate attention to this by the municipal authorities in the cities and towns and by panchayats in the rural areas.

The group felt that there was no clear-cut policy about the segregation of solid waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste and subsequent disposal of each type.

It was noticed that utilisation of biodegradable waste at the household level had not received requisite attention with the result that only a small percentage of households are aware and sensitised about utilisation of biodegradable waste at the household level.

The group lamented the lack of regulation in the use of plastics and the non-implementation of the existing ban orders on single-use plastic in J&K.

The group said that with the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and a massive rush of tourists, the problem of solid waste pollution in J&K was likely to become more alarming and serious, particularly in Kashmir.

The GCC further decided to seek the cooperation of the Imams of Masjids and heads of other religious institutions to educate the general public about the importance of sanitation and cleanliness in their neighbourhoods.

Cleanliness of self and surroundings is also prescribed in the religious scriptures and therefore the Imams will be requested to consider making this an integral part of their address on Fridays and other important occasions.

The GCC welcomed the recent statement from the government authorities regarding the promotion of sustainable tourism but expressed apprehension about the implementation on the ground.

The group discussed the construction of new roads in the hills and mountainous areas particularly around Pahalgam and Sonmarg and cautioned that such road construction deep into the mountains should have been taken up only after the preparation of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports by environmental experts and these reports then given due consideration.