Toxic smoke from Industrial Estate Sopore triggers outrage; ADC vows action

Sopore, Aug 31: Anger is brewing among residents of Sopore town over the unchecked burning of garbage inside the Industrial Estate, which has been filling the air with thick, toxic smoke. Locals say the practice has become a regular menace, posing grave health risks, especially for children and the elderly in adjoining residential colonies.

Heaps of plastic, polythene, sawdust, and other industrial waste are routinely set on fire, turning the area into a smoke chamber.

“The smoke is unbearable. Our children are coughing, struggling to breathe, and it gets worse in the evenings when the air is still,” said one resident.

Citizens are urging authorities to act against those resorting to open burning instead of adopting scientific waste management. “This is hazardous to both public health and the environment. Proper disposal methods are needed, not this reckless burning,” another resident remarked.

Responding to the public outcry, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sopore assured strict action. “We will not tolerate such practices. Those found responsible for setting garbage on fire will face action,” he said.

Officials from the Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd (SICOP) Sopore acknowledged the issue, stating that instructions have been passed to unit holders inside the estate. “The scrap, plastic waste, polythene, sawdust, leather foam, and other material will be lifted through JCBs and disposed of outside the industrial area by this evening,” an official said.

Environmental experts warn that open garbage burning releases harmful toxins like carbon monoxide, dioxins, and fine particulate matter, which aggravate asthma and respiratory ailments. They stress the urgent need for sustainable waste management practices in Sopore to prevent long-term damage.