Kulgam, May 31: Residents of the Sangus village of district Kulgam are expressing grave concern over the illegal dumping of garbage in their locality.
Although these sites are not government approved for the dumping of the solid waste due to the ease and accessibility makes people dump the garbage. However this makes the life of the residents miserable who are residing near the dumping site . This unpleasant situation has left the locals disappointed and inconvenienced. “People lack civic sense; they throw the garbage in the open despite having access to the garbage vehicles,” said Abdul Rahman, a local. “The heaps of the garbage not only highlights poor solid waste management practices but also poses major health and environmental concerns .”
Locals said that the presence of the large heaps of garbage has increased the dog population which causes fear among the residents to walk outside.
“The dumping site acts as a breeding ground for stray dogs, Children and elderly find it difficult to step out due to the presence of these dogs in the area,” said Sheeraz Ahmad, another local.
“Even this site is being used for the disposal of dead animals. The foul smell emanating from the accumulating garbage makes it unbearable for us at times,” he added.
Residents are urging the authorities to take immediate action against those responsible for the mismanagement of waste.
“Under the solid liquid waste management plan a lot of work has been done in order to sensitise and to clean the rural areas. Adequate steps will be taken to ensure the smooth progress of the plan,” Syed Naseer Ahmad ACD Kulgam said.
“Further the public cooperation is needed in this regard to avail the proper usage of the garbage vehicles,” he added.
The residents of the Sangus now eagerly await the implementation of the plan, hoping for cleaner and more hygienic surroundings in their community.
By Shaheen Mursal