GCC raises alarm over Achan landfill, calls for scientific waste management policy in J&K
Srinagar, Nov 11: The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) J&K has sounded an alarm over the rampant degradation of rivers, lakes, streams, and other water bodies due to the unchecked dumping of solid waste by civic and municipal bodies across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued here today, the GCC expressed deep concern that despite liberal Central funding and technical support under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and other schemes, there has been little tangible improvement in waste management practices—be it solid, liquid, or biomedical.
The Group warned that this continuing neglect poses a grave threat to public health, hygiene, and the environment.
The GCC urged the Government to ensure the scientific treatment and disposal of solid waste generated in towns and cities. It proposed that the Government institute a “third-party performance audit” of SBM and allied programmes to identify shortcomings and recommend appropriate policy or institutional interventions. The Group also called for the formulation of a comprehensive waste management policy—supported by existing law or new legislation if necessary—to ensure scientific disposal of waste within the framework of the four Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover.
Drawing attention to the worsening situation at the Achan landfill in Srinagar, the GCC said the site has turned into an environmental hazard symbolising the broader failure of waste management in J&K. It warned that the landfill, along with several unregulated garbage dumps in towns and cities, needs close monitoring for soil and water contamination as well as air pollution.
The GCC reiterated the urgent need for a public movement to promote sustainability, institutional innovation, and environmental resilience. It appealed for sustained engagement from all sections of civil society—including lawmakers, opinion leaders, the media, academia, activists, and other stakeholders—to address what it termed an unfolding environmental crisis that demands immediate and coordinated action.
