Pahalgam produces 18 MT of waste daily

SRINAGAR: The tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir produces over 18 million tonnes MT of solid waste per day i

Updated At : 06:13 AM Oct 25, 2017 IST

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 24

The tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir produces over 18 million tonnes (MT) of solid waste per day i.e 6742.56 MT per annum.

What is astonishing is that most of this garbage is not treated as envisaged under the rules due to the lack of sufficient treatment facilities and is dumped without treatment at the dumping sites.

This was revealed by the Advocate General of the High Court today before a division bench while referring to the status report filed by the Pahalgam Development Authority. The court, which is hearing a PIL on Pahalgam and master plan violations, had on previous occasion sought details about the solid waste generated at the tourist resort, besides the facilities available for the sewage treatment.

“On a average during peak tourist seasons, 18.4 MT of solid waste is generated at the Pahalgam resort. Annually, the resort produces 6742.56 MT of solid waste, which is then dumped at the nearby Sarbal dumping site,” the AG submitted.

Expressing concern that the tourist activity at Pahalgam is generating so much waste that gets littered all around, the Bench wanted to know how this much of garbage is treated and dumped while conforming to the environment protection laws. “Through a treatment plant, but that is not sufficient. It (waste) is not fully treated. I accept there is deficiency,” said the Advocate General.

On this, the Bench said the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) must devise an action plan for treating this waste as per the laid down norms so that further pollution of the pristine and ecologically fragile environs of Pahalgam was controlled.

“The PDA and PCB should consult each other and prepare an action plan to bring the solid waste management in line with the Environment Protection Act,” the Bench said in its direction.

It also asked the PCB to inspect the hotels with more than 20 rooms at Pahalgam to see if these have installed the sewage treatment plants (STPs) as per the law and also inspect the hotels with less than 20 rooms to ascertain whether adequate measures have been taken by these hotels for sewage treatment and file report on the next date.

Inspect hotels with over 20 rooms: HC

The High Court has asked the State Pollution Control Board to inspect the hotels with more than 20 rooms at Pahalgam to see if these have installed sewage treatment plants as per the law and inspect the hotels with less than 20 rooms to ascertain whether adequate measures have been taken by these hotels for sewage treatment and file report on the next date.