Lassipora's Industrial Boom Turns into Environmental Bust
Pulwama, June 21: The Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) Lassipora, one of Kashmir’s largest industrial zones located in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, continues to operate without a functional waste management facility, forcing industries to discharge untreated waste directly into the Rambiara stream.
Home to over 450 industrial units—including pharmaceuticals, plastics, food processing, and cold storage facilities—the IGC generates vast quantities of both solid and liquid waste. In the absence of a treatment or disposal mechanism, materials ranging from plastic packaging and chemical residues to rotting fruit are being dumped into the adjacent water body, raising serious environmental and public health concerns.
Residents complain of worsening conditions, especially in summer when the stench from decaying waste becomes overpowering. “Sometimes trucks unload spoiled apples and other industrial refuse near the stream. There’s a stench, and in the summer, it becomes unbearable,” said Nazir Ahmad, a resident of Lassipora.
President of the IGC, Mukhtar Ahmad Khan, confirmed the lack of a proper waste management system. He said the IGC houses more than 450 registered industrial units, making it the largest industrial zone in Kashmir. “However, in the absence of a solid waste management plant, all waste goes into the Rambiara river,” Khan told Greater Kashmir.
He added that a memorandum had been submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha requesting allotment of a site for a waste treatment facility. “We later received assurances from SIDCO regarding waste management, but nothing concrete has happened so far,” he said.
Industrialists in the area say they are left with no real alternatives. One unit owner, requesting anonymity, said they are ready to comply with environmental protocols, but the lack of infrastructure—such as a waste treatment plant or even a basic waste collection system—leaves them in a difficult position.
The environmental toll is significant. The Rambiara stream, a tributary of the Jhelum River, is a crucial water source for irrigation and drinking in downstream villages. A group of concerned locals said the pollution has rendered the stream’s water unfit for agriculture and unsafe for human consumption.
Despite repeated appeals and official assurances, the lack of tangible action has led to growing frustration among residents and business owners alike, who warn that continued inaction will only worsen the ecological damage in the region.
