Last Updated on January 10, 2022 at 11:03 am
Municipal solid waste management has become a major challenge in Jammu and Kashmir due to lackadaisical approach of Housing and Urban Development Department. Rules of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) have yet not been taken seriously even after lapse of so many years.
It is pertinent to mention that Union Ministry of Environment and Forests vide notification dated September 25, 2000 had framed the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules and it was specifically mentioned in the same that every Municipal Authority shall, within its territorial area, shall be responsible for the implementation of the provisions of these Rules, and for any infrastructure development for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid wastes.
Even after the lapse of so many years, Housing and Urban Development Department, which has administrative control over the Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees) has failed to take a serious approach on this.
As per official statistics, as per National Green Tribunal orders, the Pollution Control Committee has already imposed Environment Compensation on Executive Officers of around dozen Urban Local Bodies in J&K and some of them have already begun.
Among the Urban Local Bodies which have already been directed to pay Environment Compensation for flouting the Solid Waste Management Rules are Municipal Committee Bandipora, Municipal Committee Sopore and Municipal Committee Udhampur as per Daily Excelsior.
Despite knowing Urban Local Bodies are being punished for violating the Solid Waste Management Rules, Housing and Urban Development Department has not taken steps to ensure that waste is collected, stored and disposed of scientific manner and in line with the provisions of these Rules, as reported in Daily Excelsior.
