Plant has no capacity to treat yrs old solid waste: CEO
By: Ahmad Shabir
Anantnag: The installation of Solid Waste Treatment Plant (SWTP) by Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) has failed to put an end to the heaps of garbage that could be seen piling up on the bank of Tulyan Nallah near Sarbal.
After facing severe criticism for dumping garbage on the banks of Tulyan Nalla near Sarbal known for its crystal clear waters, Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) in 2018 installed a solid waste management plant to treat the waste on scientific lines.
The nodal agency meant for development of Pahalgam also erected a steel fencing along the bank of Tulyan Nalla to prevent the waste from slipping into its waters which finally join the Lidder river. The decision by the PDA to treat the solid waste scientifically was hailed by the environmentalists.
However, four years after the treatment plant was installed, the huge mounds of garbage continue to remain untreated at the site, putting the question mark on the claims of authorities of treating the garbage on scientific pattern.
A local environmental activist Mushtaq Pahalgami said that heaps of stinking garbage all around the treatment plant remain untreated.
“Two days ago, I went near the site only to find mountains of garbage lying untreated. This untreated waste stinks so badly that I had to cover my mouth and nose with three masks and a piece of cloth,” Pahalgami told Precious Kashmir.
Tons of solid waste is collected from the hotels, restaurants, huts, residential houses and other commercial establishments of the tourist spot on a daily basis especially during summers when the tourists throng the famed spot in huge numbers. The contract for the treatment of solid waste produced from the tourist spot has been allotted to a local contractor.
Pahalgami said that he was surprised to see the mountains of solid waste remaining untreated even four years after the treatment plant was installed at the spot.
“It is highly ironic that the contractor, having taken up the job, has left the huge mounds of garbage untreated for years,” Pahalgami said.
PDA, he said, should hire some agency which has expertise in treating the solid waste of major cities. “Hiring local contractors with no experience and expertise for the job won’t work,” he said.
A video of the mounds of garbage lying untreated near the spot was recently shared on social networking sites evoking criticism from the people concerned about the environment.
Chief Executive Officer, PDA, Masrat Hashim said that the garbage lying around the site is several years old.
“Actually the plant is of less capacity. The plant treats the garbage collected on a daily basis from the town. The waste lying there is huge and the contractor cannot treat that going by the capacity of the plant,” CEO said.
He said that they are now planning to hire some experienced agency which can treat that untreated garbage either at the spot or at some other place after lifting it from there.
“We have already spoken to a couple of such agencies and hopefully the issue will be solved soon,” CEO assured.
