Sewage draining into Jhelum near Lal Ded Hospital raises concern

Srinagar, Apr 14: A recent video showing significant sewage draining into Jhelum river near Lal Ded Hospital has triggered a debate about the unaccountability of the waste disposal practices of various government departments.

While Lal Ded Hospital has denied being the source of the ‘black water’ being pumped into the water body around its wall, the question remains: why are water bodies in Kashmir being treated as the natural dumps of untreated waste?

Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a prominent RTI activist, posted a video of sewage drainage into the Jhelum near Lal Ded Hospital. He raised the issue of unacceptable sewage drains into the river waters and suspected that the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at the Maternity Hospital was defunct as it appeared dry. He said the water smell and color suggested that it was untreated. Bhat said the hospitals have funds for treating medical waste and sewage but the apathy was such that water bodies were polluted without any thought to the environment and the health hazards it may be causing. The RTI activist urged the authorities, the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department and the J&K Pollution Control Board (JKPCB) to take notice and investigate the matter.

“Responsibility must be fixed. This is not acceptable by any standards and draining sewage water into water bodies, which are a source of drinking water to lakhs, is catastrophic,” Bhat said while talking to Greater Kashmir.

However, Lal Ded Hospital administration denied the allegations, arguing that it had a PCB certified STP. “These claims (by the RTI activist) are misleading. “We have tested the STP many times and even today we had a meeting with ULB and other stakeholders to ensure that we were following the pollution and biomedical waste regulations in letter and spirit,” Medical Superintendent Lal Ded Hospital, Dr Muzaffar Jan said while speaking to Greater Kashmir. He alleged that the waste water that was discharging into Jhelum near the hospital wall was via drainage pipes installed by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for Lal Mandi area. “It is from the Lal Mandi locality, not from the hospital. This can be verified,” he said.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr Ovais Ahmed did not respond to queries by Greater Kashmir.

J&K PCB Member Secretary Ghanshyam Singh said an inquiry will be carried out to ascertain the source of the sewage that was polluting Jhelum. “We carry out inspections of hospitals regularly. We have seen the video and I have spoken to the Regional Director JKPCB, Kashmir division. He will check it at the earliest,” he said.

The sewage water and solid waste dumping into water bodies has been a constant concern in Kashmir where scientific and modern disposal of waste, solid and liquid, is an unaddressed issue. Many times, hospitals have been accused of being lax towards proper waste disposal.