Sopore, Nov 09: The Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is grappling with the challenge of solid waste management. Without its own garbage dumping site and relying on an integrated facility, the town is producing approximately 33 metric tons of solid waste material daily, with multiple collection points scattered throughout the area.
The lack of a garbage dumping site is causing inconvenience to local residents who have accused the Municipal Council Sopore of creating garbage mounds within the town.
However, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Municipal Council Sopore, Tariq Ahmed Reshi, spoke to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) about the issue. He said that the town currently generates 33 metric tons of garbage daily.
“At present, Sopore lacks its own solid waste management facility, and the government has planned an integrated facility at Jetty in Baramulla,” he said, adding that despite the challenges faced by the council in maintaining sanitation, we diligently transport the daily waste to the Baramulla facility on the same day, without any delays.
Reshi said the council is facing challenges in order to maintain sanitation. “We are not getting any extra funds for transportation. We have to manage with the already allocated funds,” he said.
The CEO assured that an independent Solid Waste Management facility will be established in Sopore by next year. As part of this year’s plan, two temporary garbage collection point sheds will be constructed to eliminate roadside collection points, he added.
Musarat Kar, the former MC President under whose tenure a 40-kanal land was transferred to the council for a dumping site, said that since the approval of the integrated programme at Jetty in Baramulla, the council collects garbage from various collection points and transports it to the Baramulla site.
Measures such as the addition of hoopers have been taken to reduce the time waste remains at the collection points, she said. “We have almost around 16 temporary collection points within the town,” she said, adding, “Once the solid waste management plant is completed, the focus will shift to source segregation, which could significantly reduce waste-related challenges.”
Regarding the need for temporary waste collection land, the former MC President said that unless a suitable area is provided, the collection points will remain in their current state.
SA Raina, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sopore, said the administration will provide land for temporary collection points if the municipal council asks.
“Let the council approach us, we will provide them with land for temporary collection points,” he said.
It’s worth noting that the land previously claimed by the local municipality for garbage dumping was later closed due to objections from the Pollution Control Board, citing its location within a forest area. The board had issued a stay, prompting the competent authority to direct the removal of garbage from the site.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ali Mohammed Magray and Justice Sanjay Dhar had also directed the Director Urban Local Bodies Mathoora Masoom to submit an affidavit regarding the steps taken for adequate cleaning of the municipal waste and garbage from the Sopore town.
Local residents have raised concerns about the council’s failure to remove the garbage already dumped at the Ningli site, which had previously been claimed as a legitimate site by the local municipality.
When contacted, Masoom said the garbage would be cleared from the Ningli site with assistance from other Municipal Corporations, including those from Sumbal and Bandipora, to resolve the issue—(KNO)
