Robust solid waste management to be implemented across J&K

SRINAGAR:  Dr Arun Kumar Mehta , Chief Secretary, Jammu, and Kashmir, chaired the 8th meeting of the State Level Apex Committee (SLAC) on Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) on Friday, July 30, to review the functioning of solid waste management across union territory of Jammu and Kashmir .

It was informed that under SBM, initiatives are being undertaken to implement scientific solid waste management with an aim of bringing about behavioral change and capacity-building measures. Currently, 100% door-to-door collection of solid waste is being done in 984 wards with 100% source segregation in 178 wards and the same is decided to be implemented in the rest of the wards by October 2 this year. Jammu Municipal Corporation is considering decentralizing solid waste management via source segregation, door-to-door collection, and intermediate waste storage in adherence with Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

Furthermore, municipal committees of Pahlgam and Gulmarg have their own processing units equipped with auto-composters and magnetic disintegrators for processing bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste respectively. The Apex Committee has approved an action plan of solid waste management for Srinagar Municipal Corporation for integrated solid waste management at an estimated cost of Rs 529.75 crore. Segregated waste is proposed to be appropriately disposed of and recycled via scientific disposal strategies, which will in turn generate non-conventional renewable energy in the form of Compressed Natural Gas.