Increasing Garbage Dumpsites & Aviation Safety in Kashmir!
When the announcement was made about closure of Dangerpora waste dumping site in Pulwama around June this year, I thought that a new sanitary landfill site had been established by the local Municipality somewhere around the district. Instead of setting up a sanitary landfill site, the Municipal Council Pulwama created a new garbage dumping station around Newa village on an elevated Karewa. This site is not at all feasible for garbage dumping under the Municipal Solid Waste-MSW Rules 2016; and more than this, the place can pose a great threat to the passenger aircrafts which pass through this area before landing at Srinagar airport. For more than a month since waste is being dumped in the Newa Karewa area a large number of birds, especially eagles are seen around this site which can even hit an aircraft. The planes coming from Delhi, Jammu and other cities start descending soon after crossing Banihal pass. When the flight reaches around Lassipora Pulwama and then Newa area, it flies at a lesser altitude and there is an apprehension of bird-hit.
The locals of Newa village are aghast against the decision of the district administration as they were not taken into confidence at all while choosing Haes Khudd area for garbage dumping. A senior citizen of Newa Mr Ghulam Mohammad Wani told this author that villagers were not consulted for setting up of the garbage dump site. The Pulwama Municipality is merely relocating the waste instead of treating it as per MSW Rules 2016 ? The waste is burnt and buried under soil which is again a clear violation of MSW Rules
Impact on Air Traffic
Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 impress upon local bodies to ensure a sanitary landfill site is located 20 kms away from the airports or air bases. In special cases, landfill sites may be set up within a distance of 10 and 20 km away from the Airport/Airbase after obtaining no objection certificate from the civil aviation authority/ Air force as the case may be. The Srinagar airport and air-force station is located around 20 kms from the site via Kralcheck- Wathoora road but the aerial distance is mere 7 to 8 from the garbage dumping site? I saw hundreds of eagles and other birds around the site when I visited the place a few weeks back. This is very dangerous and can cause bird-hit in the area. The Awantipur Quil air force station is also located nearby and the authorities need to look into these vital safety and security issues.
2800 Bird Hit incidents in 5 years
As per the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s data from 2020 to June 2025, there have been 2,800 incidents of bird hits at ten major airports. Most of the cases were reported in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports. Deccan Herald had carried a detailed report on this issue few days back. 695 incidents were reported around Delhi airport, followed by Mumbai 405 cases & Bengaluru with 343 cases. Bird hit cases were reported at Ahmedabad with 337 incidents and Hyderabad with 191. Srinagar airport has been safer till date but the way our authorities are unscientifically setting up garbage dumping sites, this can prove to be disastrous in future years. Pertinently bird hits take place at low altitudes during critical flight phases like take-off and landing as it poses a threat to aircraft engines and windshields.
The Municipal Council Pulwama needs to explain whether they have sought any permission from Airport Authority of India-AAI, Indian Airforce or J&K Pollution Control Committee as the NOCs from these authorities are mandatory before setting up a sanitary landfill site? As per MSW Rules 2016 construction of landfill on hills or elevated places has to be avoided. Newa site is Karewa land which is located on an elevated plateau and thus isn’t feasible for setting up a landfill site at all.
Impact on livelihood
The area where the landfill site has been set up was already destroyed with clay mining for years. The area has vast almond and apple orchards plus this is the habitat of thousands of sheep who graze around the area for almost 6 to 7 months. I could see dozens of stray dogs around the site during my visit. In the coming months and years neither humans nor sheep / cattle can venture around this place as this would be an abode for street dogs of the entire Newa and adjoining villages? If this garbage dumping isn’t closed down it would have a hugely adverse impact on the livelihood of local apple and almond growers plus sheep farmers as well. There are some government offices also located around the dumping site which are under direct impact. The local residents told me that municipal solid waste is burnt during evening time by officials and ragpickers associated with Pulwama municipality and this is suffocating the local population.
Conclusion
I do agree that setting up a sanitary landfill site in Kashmir valley is itself a challenge. We can’t set up landfill sites in the hills or karewas and similarly we can’t also take it to the low lying areas or wetlands? These things our administrators, planners and urban development experts had to take into consideration long back? But they all kept sleeping on these critical issues & never thought about future even as billions of rupees were provided by the Govt of India for urban and rural waste management programmes in the last 10 years especially? The money has been mismanaged, misappropriated and looted which needs a CBI probe. We live in a small valley and if we start creating landfill sites & garbage dumps on elevated places like mountain zones or Karewas without consulting expert agencies it would not only be impacting our environment but can lead to aviation accidents. A safety audit especially to check these garbage sites by Airports Authority of India -AAI , Indian Air Force is a must.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Acumen Fellow and Chairman J&K RTI Movement
