Srinagar Stinks Terribly !
In March this year Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation-SMC Dr Owais Ahmad agreed to give an undertaking for clearing 11.50 lakh metric tons-MTs of legacy waste dumped at Achan Saidapora garbage dumping site. He was asked to give in writing that in 2 years this site would be cleared from all waste which look like small hills. The Commissioner had been summoned by the NGT’s three member bench of Justice Prakash Srivastava (Chairperson), Justice Sudhir Aggarwal (Judicial Member) and Dr Senthil Veil (Expert Member) on March 20th 2025.
I was expecting that after the case hearing wherein SMC Commissioner and other officers were reprimanded by the NGT, Govt would be serious about clearing these trash hills. On the contrary to this Commissioner SMC Dr Owais was transferred only a few days back after serving the corporation for 17 months? He should have been made to complete his 2 year tenure at least? This clearly indicates that the government is non serious about addressing the unscientific waste management issue of Srinagar especially at a time when the entire downtown Srinagar and its outskirts are witnessing terrible stink. Justice Sudhir Aggarwal-NGT’s Judicial Member in the open court reprimanded SMC Commissioner Dr Owais and told him, “Srinagar is unfortunate to have such kind of officers who have no concern for people and environment”.
The unscientific waste dumping at Achan has become more serious in the last few months due to the rise in temperature. People living as far as Buchpora or Lalbazar also feel suffocated & those living in Saidapora Achan and adjoining localities are the worst victims of this official apathy.
Why did I go to NGT ?
This author isn’t impacted by the pungent smell that arises from the Achan garbage dumping site. I live almost 22 kms away from this place on another side of the city around Chadoora area. As I frequently visit my friends and relatives in the downtown, I realised that not even public spirited citizens were serious about this issue as nobody wants to speak out, especially post 370 Kashmir? A decade back, locals of Achan Saidapora were beaten up by police when they protested over this issue. As an RTI and climate activist I thought it was my moral duty to knock on the doors of the judiciary and National Green Tribunal-NGT is the best forum to highlight environmental issues.
The NGT has given some landmark orders in the last 4 to 5 years in response to my petitions. Due to NGT’s intervention illegal mining was stopped in Sukhnag stream in Beerwah, Doodh Ganga in Chadoora, Sasara in Pulwama & Shali Ganga in Panzan Budgam. NGT also grilled SMC , ULB , Geology and Mining Department in the Doodh Ganga case, imposed penalties and now more than Rs 140 crores have been sanctioned for restoration of Doodh Ganga and treatment of untreated liquid waste. In Sukhnag area dozens of springs are filled with water now after illegal mining was halted last year. NGT’s intervention has given me great hope & on its direction a team from Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB and Ministry of Environment Govt of India visited the site last year in July. Member Secretary JK Pollution Control Committee-JKPCC and District Administration Srinagar and senior officers of SMC were also present at the site including this author (petitioner in the case). The committee submitted a factual report which proved that SMC was at fault and was held responsible for violating environmental laws and waste management rules.
As explained above on March 20th 2025 this case was listed before the 3 member bench of National Green Tribunal-NGT. The Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation Dr Owais Ahmad, Regional Director J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) Abhijeet Joshi, Govt Counsel GM Kawoosa, Counsel for Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Mr Raj Kumar were present during the hearing. Me and my counsels, Advocate Rahul Chowdhary and Advocate Itisha Awasthi were also present.
When the NGT members grilled SMC Commissioner and other officers, the Commissioner informed the NGT’s three-member bench that he would furnish an undertaking in 10 days and take responsibility for ensuring the complete removal of legacy waste within two years through the bioremediation process. In its affidavit, the SMC stated that the current waste generation stands at 1,600 tonnes per day and is projected to reach 1,918 tonnes per day by 2028. The case is listed for hearing on July 18, 2025 but before that Dr Owais got transferred ?
Penal Action against 8 Commissioners
On the orders of National Green Tribunal, J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) in its detailed report said that Srinagar Municipal Corporation SMC had breached waste management rules for 1,800 days (April 1, 2020 – March 10, 2025), leading to penalties under the “Polluter Pays Principle-PPP”. In addition to it JKPCC informed NGT that legal action was also being finalized against eight former SMC Commissioners who were posted in SMC between 2017 to 2025. As per the documents provided by JKPCC to NGT Dr. Shafqat Khan, Reyaz Ahmad Wani, Peerzada Hafizullah Shah, Mir Tariq Ali, Khurshid Ahmad Sanai, Gazanfar Ali, Athar Aamir Khan, and Dr Owais Ahmad have been held guilty under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and penal action has been initiated against them.
Conclusion
After Eid ul Adha celebrations the intensity of stink has increased. There are two reasons for this - dumping of waste of sacrificial animals and increase in temperature. I am trying my best to get this issue addressed. I not only went to NGT with a formal petition which had a good impact as well on ground but I am constantly writing on this in local newspapers as well. I write blogs and make vlogs as well, besides highlighting this issue on a digital platform. I have met many religious scholars as well, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. In-fact the people of Saidapora Eidgah and surrounding areas have been urging Mirwaiz to raise this issue and he also seems very serious on this matter & expressed his concern on social media recently. Other religious scholars must raise this issue in the Friday sermons so as to create a pressure on Govt to clear 11 lakh MTs of legacy waste. Our elected Govt cannot say that waste management isn’t under their domain? This is very much within their domain and they need to take responsibility for addressing this issue.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Acumen Fellow & Chairman J&K RTI Movement
