Committee on Environment visits Achan Waste Management Site; Reviews ₹361-Crore Achan remediation project; seeks crackdown on Wetland encroachments

SRINAGAR, JULY 3: In a significant move towards strengthening environmental governance and promoting sustainable municipal solid waste management, the Committee on Environment of Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly today visited the Achan Waste Management Site at Eidgah to review the functioning of the city’s primary waste processing facility, besides on-site field inspection of the Anchar, Hokersar and Khushal Sar lakes and their associated wetlands.
The high-level delegation was led by the Chairman of the Committee on Environment, M.Y. Tarigami and was accompanied by Legislators Mubarik Gul, Javaid Riyaz (Bedar), Dr. Sajjad Shafi, Dalip Singh, Salman Sagar, Showkat Hussain Ganie besides Commissioner Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department Mandeep Kaur, Secretary JKLA Manoj Kumar Pandit, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation Faz Lul Haseeb, Chairman J&K Pollution Control Committee; Vice Chairman, J&K Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA); Chief Engineer, Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED); Joint Commissioners of SMC; and other senior officers.
During the visit, the Committee carried out a comprehensive inspection of the Achan Waste Management Site and reviewed the existing solid waste management framework, ongoing waste processing operations, legacy waste remediation measures, leachate treatment systems, environmental safeguards, and the overall operational efficiency of the facility and also assessed the status of solid waste management, illegal encroachments, degradation of water bodies and the impact of pollution on public health.
The Committee also assessed the initiatives being undertaken to strengthen scientific waste processing, improve environmental compliance, enhance sanitation standards, and ensure sustainable disposal practices in accordance with prescribed environmental norms.
Briefing the Committee, Commissioner SMC, highlighted the Corporation’s sustained efforts to modernize and strengthen municipal solid waste management across Srinagar. He informed the Committee about various initiatives aimed at improving door-to-door waste collection, enhancing segregation at source, expanding scientific processing and disposal capacities, upgrading waste management infrastructure, and ensuring environmentally sustainable sanitation services for the city.
The Committee stressed on adopting modern technologies, innovative waste processing solutions, and global best practices to transform the Achan Waste Management Site into a state-of-the-art, environmentally compliant, and sustainable waste management facility.
It also emphasized that the Corporation remains committed to safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, and maintaining high standards of urban cleanliness through efficient and scientific waste management systems.
Appreciating the initiatives undertaken by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the Committee underscored the need for sustained inter-departmental coordination, continuous monitoring, infrastructure augmentation, scientific management of legacy waste, and adoption of advanced waste processing technologies to further strengthen environmental protection and solid waste management across the city.
Expressing anguish over rampat illegal landfilling, unauthorized construction and indiscriminate dumping of waste in and around the wetlands, the Chairman observed that these ecological sensitive water bodies are facing serious threats due to enchrochment and unplanned urban expansion.
The Committee directed the concerned departments to initiate immediate action, prepare a comprehensive time-bound action plan for the protection and restoration of these lakes and wetlands, and keep the Committee informed through periodic Action Taken Reports.
The visit reflects the Committee’s commitment to advancing environmental conservation, promoting scientific municipal solid waste management, enhancing urban sanitation, and building a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Srinagar through collaborative and forward-looking environmental initiatives.