NGT again intervenes

For almost 10 years I have been constantly writing, and doing active work, around Municipal Solid Waste-MSW. Earlier this was a problem in Srinagar city, but now our towns and villages are also hugely impacted by this. Teachers and parents advise kids to use trash bins for disposing of waste, but hardly anyone cares where these trash bins land finally? When I ask people they say it will go to the “Dumping Site”.  How many dumping sites do we have? Do we have enough land availability to create new garbage dumps or landfill sites? No, not at all.  The lone landfill site in Srinagar at Saidpora Achan is overloaded with garbage. 11.50 MTs of waste is lying there with 700 MT getting added to it. This was revealed by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation-SMC Commissioner before National Green Tribunal-NGT early this year in response to the petition filed by this author. Every day around 650 to 700 metric tons-MT’s of garbage is unloaded by vehicles of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) at Achan. For how many years can we afford to send such a huge quantity of waste to Achan or any other landfill site located in our major towns of Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Budgam etc. ? In  Pulwama the unscientific and illegal waste dumping site at Dangerpora has already choked and now the Municipal Council Pulwama has chosen another site near Newa village. This place is Karewa land surrounded by apple , plum and almond orchards. Locals protested and resisted but authorities didn’t care. I had to intervene again and filed a case in the National Green Tribunal-NGT , last month.

The National Green Tribunal - NGT on October 13^th 2025 pronounced a significant order. The tribunal disposed of my petition on day 1^st against illegal MSW dumping at Newa village Haeskhud area. The Principal bench of Justice Prakash Srivastava and Dr A Shenthil Veil ( Expert Member) directed this author (petitioner in the case) to approach CEO Municipal Council Pulwama and if the grievance is found to be true the municipal solid waste - MSW be cleared within 3 months. The NGT further mentioned in the order that J&K Pollution Control Committee-JKPCC will conduct an inspection of the site after 3 months and ascertain whether the remedial action has been taken or not.  “If the violation is found to be continuing, appropriate action for imposition of environmental compensation will be initiated by respondent number 2 ( JKPCC)” reads the NGT’s order.

Advocate Saurabh Sharma  my counsel raised the grievance  through original application (OA No 515-2025)  against the illegal and unscientific dumping of municipal solid waste, bio- medical and plastic waste around Karewa land of Newa (Haes Khodd) area of District Pulwama by Municipal Council of Pulwama. My counsel informed the tribunal that MSW dumping  was taking place in violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. He also alleged that no source segregation of the solid waste was done by Municipal Council, Pulwama & unsegregated waste is dumped there in violation of rules and norms.  The tribunal in its order said that applicant has not filed a comprehensive and detailed complaint before the CEO MC Pulwama and he directed to submit the same and if the grievance is true the CEO will take remedial action in 3 months followed by Pollution Control Committees inspection.

The order of the NGT’s Principal bench dated Oct 13^th 2025 reads :

“We are of the view that grievance which the applicant is raising needs to be looked into by respondent no.3-CEO, Municipal Council, Pulwama at the first instance and if the allegation is found to be correct, expeditious remedial action is required to be taken. Hence, we permit the applicant to make a detailed complaint along with all the supporting material to the respondent no.3-CEO, Municipal Council, Pulwama who on receipt of the same will get the spot inspection done and if the allegation is found to be correct, will take appropriate remedial action within three months from the date of receipts of the complaint. Respondent no.2-J&KPCC will carry out the inspection immediately after three months to ascertain if the remedial action has been taken. If the violation is found to be continuing, appropriate action for imposition of environmental compensation will be initiated by respondent no.2. In the view of the above, OA is accordingly disposed of .“

 Conclusion

I am unable to understand why the governance system has crippled in J&K? Can’t our elected Govt ensure management of municipal solid waste -MSW even in one single Municipal Council or Committee across J&K? Do we need statehood to get these things done? Why shall aggrieved have to lodge their petitions before judiciary or National Green Tribunal-NGT? The NGT in turn is imposing huge penalties and environmental compensations on the municipal institutions. In the last 3 years around Rs 71 Crores Environmental Compensation-EC has been imposed on Srinagar Municipal Corporation-SMC in the Doodh Ganga pollution case alone.  Budgam and Chadoora municipalities have been penalised with Rs 50 lakhs each ? Where is the Government ? Why is taxpayers money being wasted like this?.

Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is a regular contributor to Greater Kashmir