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| HC seeks details of funds spent on similar work | | As SMC halts awareness work in 8 wards | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 20: At a time when Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has halted its much hyped Information Education and Communication (IEC) in almost eight wards in Srinagar city, Jammu & Kashmir High Court has sought details of funds utilized for the similar work as high court has given a top priority to the issue of waste management in state.
Details along with copy of the High Court direction available with Early Times reveals that while hearing a PIL titled Environmental Policy Group V/S State, the division bench of High Court on Monday issued direction to Commissioner SMC to reveal details about the funds spent and steps taken towards solid waste management in Srinagar. HC order dated 18.9.2018 reads as " Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Srinagar is also directed to inform this court about the amount spent and steps taken for the public awareness on solid waste management"
Pertinent to mention that with an aim of ensuring segregation of waste at source at plus public awareness ,Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) early this year had allocated 4 to 5 wards to around half a dozen NGOs in Srinagar city. This was to undertake Information Education and Communication (IEC) programme, but within 3 months of start of this activity the then Commissioner SMC Riyaz Ahmad Wani got the work halted in almost 8 municipal wards of the city due to unknown reasons. As on date the IEC work is yet to reach 30 % of city's population plus door to door collection of waste in segregated manner is undertaken in mere 30 % of the house-holds.
With an aim of streamlining solid waste management work the division bench of J&K High Court while hearing theaforementioned PIL for the first time in April this year had directed Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to take mere 10 % of waste to its landfill site. Rest of the waste was to be treated scientifically like compositing and waste to energy from plastic waste. Reliable sources say that even today SMC continues to take 70 % of waste to landfill site and rest of the 30 % of waste is either dumped in water-bodies, open spaces or burnt by the municipal staff / rag pickers. This is open violation of court order.
Sources say that Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) continues to violate the High Court order as large amount of unsegregated waste (70 to 80 % of total waste generated in city) is being dumped at Srinagar's Acchan landfill site which is open violation of High Court order and Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM Rules 2016).
As reported already Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) , Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and all other Municipal Committees and Councils across the state continue to dump 80 to 100 % untreated garbage at their respective dumping sites which is in violation of interim order of J&K High Court division bench which had directed to take only 10 % waste to the landfill sites.
Sources say that Municipal Committees and Councils are not at all undertaking any work vis a vis waste management or public awareness. Except one project that was also halted last year Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Kashmir has also miserably failed to adhere to the provisions of solid waste rules of 2016. |
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