Recently I read a Kashmiri slogan written on a newly constructed waste segregation shed at Utterpora Beerwah in district Budgam:
“Kath Boz Kan Thaaw, Aechh Mechraaw, Mahool Bachaav Mahool Bachaav”
Listen to what I say
Lend your ears
Open your eyes
Protect environment , Protect environment
The Department of Rural Sanitation and Block Development Office Sukhnag block in Budgam need themselves to act up this slogan which they have painted on the walls of the segregation shed. It seems their eyes are closed as they can’t see how openly the Water Act 1974 is being violated by them ? The waste segregation shed has been set up on the banks of Aheji canal which is the source of drinking water for a huge population living around Utterrpora and its surrounding villages in Beerwah assembly constituency in Budgam. This is not only a single case in Utterpora but I am aware of almost one dozen more such cases wherein waste segregation sheds have been set up near waterbodies in clear violation of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and Water -Prevention & Control of Act 1974.
Why no Pollution Clearance ?
The rural waste management programme in J&K is taken care of by the Rural Sanitation Department which is a small Govt organization. This is the Mission Directorate for Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-Gramin) in J&K as well. As this department has less manpower and staff so the Rural Development Department through Block Development Officers -BDOs execute the waste management programme in rural areas. But as the officials of RDD have no training and understanding of waste management they are themselves violating the provisions of SBM Gramin , Water Act 1974, Environmental Protection Acy 1986 and Municipal Solid Waste Rules- MSW Rules 2016 . The Aheji stream which is a tributary of Nallah Sukhnag is a drinking water source for many villages.
I am unable to understand why the J&K Pollution Control Committee -JKPCC which is under direct control of the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB is mum over the illegal construction of waste segregation sheds that have been constructed in different villages of J&K in the last one year ? JKPCC previously called JK Pollution Control Board (PCB) has a clear mandate to intervene as this violates the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 ? Infact the Central and State Pollution Control Boards have been set up under the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1974. Had these constructions been done by private entities the PCC team would have shut them down and even penalized the offenders. If Private schools, car washing centers or small business establishments are asked to get a non objection certificate -NOC from Pollution Control Committee why isn’t this mandatory for setting up of the Segregation Sheds ?
Is waste segregated in Segregation sheds ?
The J&K Rural Development Department or its sister concern the Rural Sanitation Department which is also the Mission Directorate for SBM Gramin in J&K calls these waste collection points “Segregation Sheds” ? Not even 10 kg of waste is being segregated or processed daily in these so-called segregation sheds ? They have been constructed only to utilize the funds (Rs 5.60 lakhs approximately) made available by Govt of India for each Gram Panchayat under SBM Gramin phase II. Even the trash bins which were supplied to villages are filled with trash and there is no service available to clear them? These waste segregation sheds have simply become waste dump sites . Many sheds are completely empty as they are located at odd locations where nobody even carries the waste.
Suggestion
Through my writeup , columns or video reports this author not only criticizes the Govt but I keep giving suggestions and solutions as well. Sometimes these suggestions are well taken and recently the Lt Governor J&K Mr Manoj Sinha in his monthly radio programme Awam Ki Awaz took the suggestion of my colleague Mushtaq Ahmad Lone very seriously. Mushtaq had suggested that religious leaders be involved in sanitation and waste management campaigns so as to make it a people’s movement (Jan Abhiyan). LG Manoj Sinha said that he would ensure these suggestions are taken positively.
If the Govt of India is already providing Rs 5500 through local Panchayats for construction of compost pits in every house to treat the biodegradable waste , kitchen waste & food waste and Rs 11000 are provided to set up soakage pits for treating liquid waste, why shall then the mixed waste (kitchen waste and plastic waste etc) be carried to the segregation shed? These sites have now become new waste dump yards as it emits foul smell and dogs can be seen around due to dumping of food / kitchen waste. The segregation sheds should have been named as Material Recovery Facilities -MRF’s and Rs 5.60 lakhs from three to four panchayats could have jointly been pooled which would be around Rs 22 lakhs plus amount and thus could be helpful to make a better facility at a centrally located place.
As a student of waste management and climate action I believe that only Non-biodegradable waste like pet bottles, recyclable plastic and hazardous waste like used diapers or sanitary pads , waste plastic should be taken to the segregation shed or MRF. This dry waste could then be segregated and useful material taken out & the hazardous waste like sanitary pads and diapers could be incinerated (burned at high temperature). Ironically we don’t even see a single incinerator having been set up in any village under the rural waste management programme ? At least one LPG-fired incinerator should have been established in a cluster of 3 to 4 villages near the Material Recovery Facility -MRF which would not cost more than 7 to 8 lakh rupees ?
Conclusion
Making waste segregation sheds near water bodies, like streams and canals, is a criminal offence under environmental laws and the pollution control committee has to play its role. If Govt institutions demand pollution board or committees clearance for setting up restaurants , schools , dairy farms or any other business establishment why isn’t this made mandatory for waste segregation sheds. All the district officers of Pollution Control Committee J&K must visit different villages in their respective districts and prepare a list of such illegal segregation sheds. The Pollution Control Committee J&K-PCC must impose Environmental Compensation under Polluter Pays Principle -PPP on the Govt officials involved in setting up these illegal structures near water bodies. In fact JK-PCC imposed Rs 81 lakhs compensation on Municipal Council Poonch for dumping waste near Poonch river after this author went to National Green Tribunal -NGT in that case.
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Acumen Fellow. He is also Anant Fellow for Climate Action Anant National University Ahmedabad