Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: ‘I have been living here, in Achan for the last 7 years, and I never imagined that this place would become such a massive garbage dump. Every day around 100 trucks dump here, hospital wastes keep flying in the air and land on our houses’, said Shahada*, a resident of Achan, an area in the outskirts of Srinagar.
While a huge “developmental and upgradation work” to “beautify” Srinagar city has been undertaken under the highly anticipated Srinagar Smart City projects, environmental experts describe the changes as “cosmetic,” citing the city’s lack of a proper waste management program.
One of Srinagar’s largest garbage dumping sites, Achan, was supposed to close more than 8 years ago, as it is the only garbage dumping site in Srinagar where garbage from all over the city including domestic, industrial, and medical wastes are dumped. While a huge “developmental and upgradation work” to “beautify” Srinagar city has been undertaken under the highly anticipated Srinagar Smart City projects, environmental experts describe the changes as “cosmetic,” citing the city’s lack of a proper waste management program.
Residents living around the Achan garbage dumping site are in distress due to the bad smell coming from the site. Around 540–tons of solid waste are produced in Srinagar every day and are dumped in the only dumping site at Achan located at the outskirts of the city. The foul smell emanating from the landfill is affecting the entire Srinagar district. The Achan dumping site is just five kilometres from Lal Chowk, the city centre. Srinagar city currently produces 540 metric tons of garbage daily which is cleared by the SMC and dumped at Achan. In 2007, the High Court ordered SMC to close the Srinagar garbage dumping site within 18 months. The orders have not been implemented till date.
Ruksana*, a lady from the area while interacting with FII said, ‘A few months back, my cattle were attacked and killed by stray dogs. Stray dogs from all over Srinagar are also brought here. This place is full of rats, we earn 100-500 per day. That too we have to spend over buying medicines. Every day we keep removing the trash of sanitary pads and diapers that’s flying and landing in our houses.’
A few months back, my cattle were attacked and killed by stray dogs. Stray dogs from all over Srinagar are also brought here.
Ruksana, Achan resident.
Lastly, during the summer, it becomes difficult for people living in the area to breathe. There is a wide range of insects flying around, acting as carriers of diseases. To mitigate these effects, the authorities used to distribute specific repellents among the population. To combat the stench, odor control measures were a daily affair. However, all of this has ceased to exist, with authorities now only managing the dumping of garbage. The consequences of sustained exposure to the stench are evident, and the use of medicines to treat stomach-related issues has become rampant among the residents. In addition to other diseases, stomach ailments are now a common occurrence.
Health toll of the dumping site ignored
The health toll of the dumping site has been ignored so far, and there is a pressing need for targeted research to determine the extent of its effects on the local population. As the local population remains engulfed in these issues, the effects of the mismanaged dumping site are spreading to several other areas. The land surrounding the walled dumping site, which used to be fertile paddy land, has become barren.
Raja Begum, an eldrly resident of Achan said she have been living here for the last 8 years with her family. ‘We are poor and underprivileged. Our earnings are spent on visiting doctors and buying medicines, and we are fed up with the authorities now, as they are doing nothing.’
She continued, stating how because of the landfill there, there are difficulties in getting marriage proposals for their daughters and sons. ‘We often fall ill, and because of this people tend to stay away from us in fear of getting the infection. My family decided to leave this area to escape the foul smell. We are presently living in a rented room which is far away from this area, we are facing a lot of problems due to this foul smell. My request to Administration is that please have a look at this matter,’ she said.
Aijaz Rasool, an environmentalist, speaking to FII, said the land has been used for the dumping site since 1984, and there is no space left.
Aijaz Rasool, an environmentalist, speaking to FII, said the land has been used for the dumping site since 1984, and there is no space left. ‘The Government must find an alternative for solid waste management in Srinagar prioritising proactive solutions to maybe prevent recording issues faced today. This place is a threat for localities and soon the time will come, when the people will get infected and carry the threat of new disease,‘ he said.
Fayaz Ahmed Gojhwari, a local resident of Achan said that he has two kids, and both prefer to stay away from their home. ‘We don’t have any option, we are financially weak. This dumping site functions non-stop, there are patients in every house here. Many of our neighbours are facing major health issues like Cancer, Asthma, Stomach issues, Body infections, and skin problems. We bought house in 1988, here in the Achan area as land and home prices in the area were affordable for us then as compared to other areas of Srinagar, but now we are feeling we shouldn’t have done so.’
He continued to brief about his sufferings saying that when he shifted his belongings to the new house, he saw vehicles of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) disposing of garbage in an open area, just a few hundred meters away from their house. ‘I did not think much of this at the time. But as time passed, the few truckloads of SMC laden with garbage from different areas of Srinagar, dumping them in the Achan area, suddenly increased to around 20 vehicles per day. By 2010, more and more garbage was getting dumped at the site. At present, the dumping site, Srinagar’s only landfill, is spread over 600 kanals of land.’
What was Achan in 1983?
As per the details gathered by FII, till 1983, Achan was a beautiful wetland where migratory birds would come during winters. It was the then Governor Jagmohan Malhotra who ordered land filling of the wetland and converted it into a waste dumping site.
The foul smell emanating from the landfill is, in fact, affecting the entire Srinagar district, increasing the patient load on two nearby hospitals — Shere-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura and Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital.
Family ordeals: social stigma and late marriage
‘At least dozens of matches came for our daughter, who holds a Masters degree and other degrees in relevant fields, but every time the matchmakers said our house is close to Achan waste dumping site and rejected the proposal’ Faheema a lady from area said. There are many families like hers in the area who are facing social stigma as nobody is ready to marry their daughters and sons, just because the area produces pungent smell and toxic gas.
However, they have been hearing a number of promises from the previous governments and the Srinagar Municipal Cooperation (SMC) but nothing has happened on the ground. ‘Let’s wait and see how far the fresh claims of SMC officials go,’ Faheema said.
Senior Pulmonologist Dr. Naeem Firdous told FII that non-biodegradable waste gets blocked everywhere and also releases toxic substances in water bodies, and that water is recycled for our usages. Because of this, there is a danger of spreading diseases like cholera and vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue. He continues by saying that when garbage is disposed of in the environment, our lungs might be affected, which can result in respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, Asthma etc.
Carcinogenic substances are found in these dumping sites, which can cause cancer. There is also a high chance of diseases spreading in these areas because of the presence of dogs, rats, and rodents
Dr. Naeem Firdous, Senior Pulmonologist.
Patients have experienced serious deleterious effects. The patient affected by such diseases might face breathing issues, and their treatment can’t be optimised in the vicinity where foul smells keep coming. ‘Carcinogenic substances are found in these dumping sites, which can cause cancer. There is also a high chance of diseases spreading in these areas because of the presence of dogs, rats, and rodents,’ added Dr. Naeem Firdous.
*names have been changed to protect identity.
