Kashmir’s prominent wetland turned into a cesspool

Even after 20 months, the government has not acted upon the NGT's orders. The government is also encroaching the wetlands.

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IN rural areas where the government was supposed to undertake waste management under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin [SBM-G] programme, we see not even a single project in operation across more than 5,000 gram panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir [J&K]. In a reply to an application under the Right to Information Act, the District Panchayat Officer, Budgam informed this writer earlier this year that not even a single project on waste management has been executed in the entire district, which has 296 panchayats. In spite of the fact that a detailed project report for 17 panchayats was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner some years back and two projects were approved as well at Galwanpora and Sheikhpora, the work was not taken up. If there were some hindrances in these two villages, why could the district administration not explore other areas of the district?

With the aim to clear Kashmir's prominent wetlands such as Wullar and Hokersar from solid and liquid waste, a detailed order was passed by the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal [NGT] in August 2020 in response to an application moved by this writer.

The tribunal directed the J&K government to utilize the money available under SBM-G to undertake waste management in rural areas of Budgam district , especially those which are located around the Hokersar wetland. This writer, as applicant, had suggested to the NGT the utilization of money available under the Open Defecation Free-Plus programme of SBM-G wherein solid and liquid waste is to be managed at the panchayat level, and money is allocated by the Union Government through the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.