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| Plastic, biomedical waste dumping in Wullar | | PCB, WUCMA mute spectators | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 4: As dumping of Municipal Solid Waste particularly the plastic and biomedical waste continues in world famous Wullar Lake , two institutions of the Government who had a direct role to play seem to have become mute spectators to the vandalization that is being openly done by another Government institution ie Municipal Committee Bandipora.
J&K State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Wullar Lake Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) have a great role to play towards conservation and ensuring that lake is free from any pollutants but both the authorities are watching all this destruction helplessly. These authorities have not even registered any formal complaint against the Municipal Committee Bandipora.
Reliable sources say that MC Bandipora is lifting highly dangerous Biomedical Waste from hospitals and clinics in the town and that is dumped along-with plastic waste at Nussu Zalwan area which is part of the Wullar lake. This activity is not only a clear violation of Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 but also violation of all the rules governing environment and water bodies.
As reported already Government is claiming to be implementing Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Municipal Solid Waste Rules in letter and spirit, the authorities at the helm of affairs to implement them are themselves involved in mutilating these guidelines.
Pertinently Wular Lake has been recognized as a Ramsar site under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, 1971, the wetland has been subjected to pollution as a result of dumping of municipal solid waste as well as illegal encroachments by way of construction of roads and other infrastructure. The lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia and is fed by the Jhelum River.
"This is not only a matter of grave concern with regard to the ecology of the wetland, but also poses several health hazards for the local inhabitants. The dumping of municipal solid waste has polluted the once pristine wetland and has resulted in the eutrophication of the water body as well as an outbreak of pests and pathogens in the area" said Mir Mushtaq a local activist in Bandipora.
Municipal Committee (MC) Bandipora in year 2013 received a grant of around 82 lakhs from WUCMA for strengthening and developing the infrastructure for scientific disposal of municipal solid waste so as to prevent any sort of pollution within and along the banks of Wular Lake. In return the Muncipal Committee (MC) Bandipora started dumping all the garbage on the banks of Wullar lake and WUCMA is not even objecting to this illegal activity. Some environmental activists are now planning to file a petition before National Green Tribunal (NGT). |
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