Jhelum: Awaiting Attention (II)
Untreated waste generating pollution
The Kashmir Times, December 22, 2007
By Athar Parvaiz
River Jhelum, also known as Vyath or Vitasta, receives a number of tributaries
on its left and right banks. These include fairly developed streams as well as tiny
rivulets with quite remarkable variations in their drainage and catchment
characteristics. The right-bank streams include: Bring, Lidder, Harwan, Arapal,
Sindh, Erin, Madumati whereas the left-bank tributaries include: Rambiara,
Sasara, Rohmashi, Dudganga and Sukhnag.
Human activity along the banks and catchment areas of the Jhelum and its
tributaries has significantly increased over the last few decades which has
resulted into its pollution. With no proper solid waste management and drainage
system in place, the waste from both the residential and commercial areas finds
its way into the Jhelum without any treatment.
A survey carried out by ERA, the Executing Agency of developmental works for
Asian Development Bank, revealed that people were not happy with service
provided by the Srinagar Municipal Authority. “In all cases except for commercial,
majority are not satisfied with the level of service. The dissatisfaction level in
residential sector is about 80% and more than 60% wants to get these services
in hands of private service providers”, observed the survey. According to the
survey more than 70 percent throw waste on the streets and drains in residential
sector and 47% in commercial sector. The survey said that 82% from the
residential sector are willing to pay charges against delivery of service. Likewise,
the people from other sectors, the survey concluded, may also be motivated to
pay the charges, provided there is sustainable and substantial improvement in
SWM services.
One of the main sources of water pollution in the Srinagar city is the mechanical
drainage which ends up flowing into river Jhelum without any treatment. Fourteen
dewatering stations, situated at different places along the river Jhelum, throw
their discharge untreated into the Jhelum after collecting the waste water from
different places in the Srinagar city. These dewatering stations include: New
Gadanjipora, Old Gadanjipora, Pandrathan, Noorbagh, Shaheen Colony,
Shivpora, Sonawar Bagh, Abi Guzar, Zero Bridge, Court Road, Khidmat Press,
Lal Mandi, Lal-Trag Pampore, Mandir Bagh.
As per the data available with the City Mechnical Drianage Division, 2040000
liters of untreated waste is discharged through New Gadanji Pora dewatering
station, 204000 liters are discharged through Old Gadanjipora, 1632000 liters
throgh Pandrathan, 4080000 liters through Noorbagh, 2090000 liters through
Shaheen Colony, 49080000 liters through Shivpora, 6120001 liters through
Sonawar Bagh, 2040000 liters through Abi Guzar, 816000 liters through Zero
Bridge, 2040000 liters through Court Road, 2040000 liters through Khidmat
Press, 2040000 liters through Lal Mandi, 4080000 liters through Lal-Trag
Pampore and 2040000 liters through Mandir Bagh. A total of 37128001 liters of
untreated waste is discharged from all these dewatering stations into the Jhelum.
The drainage problem in the Srinagar city is a major concern given the fact that
most of the city has no sewers. Night soil and septic tank effluents are
discharged to open street drains, resulting in contamination and blockage of
drains particularly in older areas that is the downtown areas with high population
density. Presently as many as 61 Dewatering stations are in service for pumping
out storm water from the low-lying areas which include a few dewatering stations
constructed prior to 1979.
As per the officials of drainage circle of SMC, the drainage upgradation projects
are not getting the required funding. For example its officials maintain that a
programme was formulated with targets for the upgradation of drainage for the
year 2006-2007 to the tune of Rs. 1300 Lacs, but “only a meager allocation of
Rs. 520 Lacs have been released which is exceptionally very low in terms of
targets fixed.”
The three sewage treatment plants in the Srinagar city are not functioning
according to the norms. Some time back the Pollution Control Board released a
report and warned that the sewage treatment plants function as per the
prescribed norms. About the Brari Numbal STP which drains into Jhelum, the
PCB report said that it has excess phosphate in its effluent and other chemicals
which cause heavy pollution in the Jhelum and luxuriant growth of weeds in Brari
Numbal Lagoon. In the towns straddling the river Jhelum from its source in
Verinag in south Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir, the solid waste and
sewage directly goes into the river.
There is no data available as to how much solid waste or sewage is produced in
the other towns of Kashmir situated along the banks of river Jhelum. One gets an
idea after getting to the places like Pampore, Khanabal, Boutingo, Sumbal, Hajan
and Baramulla. Heaps of garbage produced in the residential and commercial
areas, can be seen lying on the banks of Jhelum while a good quantity floats on
its waters. Toilets waste straightaway runs into Jhelum. One can see scores of
toilets dotting the river bank in the towns as well as in the city. Elderly people in
these towns said that during their youth, the water of Jhelum was being used for
even drinking purposes.
“I vividly remember that bakers used to get water from Jhelum for the preparation
of bread and people not hesitate to drink the water, but not any more. In fact now
people think twice for even using it for washing of clothes”, says 75-year Abdul
Rashid of Anantnag. Agriculture being one of the major contributors to the
economy of Kashmir, agrochemicals like fertilizers containing nitrates,
phosphates and pesticides, insecticides etc. also pollute the Jhelum waters after
these chimicals are washed by rain water and surface run off.
In Srinagar city both the commercial and residential areas produce tons of solid
waste and sewage. The SMC has a scanty idea about the quantity of wastes
produced in different areas. However according to the information gathered by a
private agency ECORPO Environmental services, there are about 200 hotels
situated in the city, with the bed capacity of 10516 . Mostly, the floating
population comprises of tourists who reside in these Hotels and House boats.
There are about 50 restaurants from where mostly organic waste is generated.
The expected waste generated due to Hotel and restaurants is 10 MT/day.
The approximate quantity of municipal solid waste generated from residential
area at present is 286.55 MT/d. The commercial waste includes the waste
originating in offices, wholesale and retail stores, shops and other commercial
establishments. As per estimates of Town Planning Organization, there were
23888 formal retail shops and 5601 informal shops in Srinagar in year 2000. It is
not possible to find out the authentic figures. It is estimated that 0.5 Kg average
waste from each commercial shop would be coming in Municipal Solid waste
each day; thus 15 MT/d would be generated from commercial area.
As per secondary data, Srinagar City has 15 markets of Fruit and vegetable.
There are about 140 shops dealing in this trade. Fruit Mandi is at Parimpora and
Vegetable Mandi is at Iqbal market. Average inflow of vegetable per day is about
200 tons. The waste estimated to be generated from vegetable and fruit yard @
5% is approximately 10 MT/d. This waste is very putriciable in nature. The
primary collection of waste is managed privately by the fruit and Market society;
whereas waste from local sellers is mixed with Municipal waste to be lifted by
Corporation staff.
Despite the fact that Kashmir valley is known for heavy consumption of beef and
mutton, there are only two slaughter houses functional in the city- one at
Rainawari and another at Pampore. The official figure for slaughtering from the
registered slaughter houses is 54269 per annum during year 2005-06; but figures
from unregistered slaughter houses are much more. As per unverified
information, about 3000 animals are butchered daily and the expected quantity of
waste generation @ 2.5 kg per animal is about 7.5 T/ d, which is mixed with
municipal solid waste and disposed of at the existing disposal sites. No authentic
data in this regard was available.
As per the information gathered there are total of 227 Medical Establishments in
Srinagar city. It is also reported that total bed facilities for Srinagar city is about
5000 beds. In the photographs below, front view of Government Lalla Ded
Hospital is seen and in other photograph, unsegregated bio-medical waste is
seen scattered in open and mixed with Municipal solid waste.
It is estimated that over 70000 workers are engaged in House-hold cum Cottage
Industry. The waste generated by these industries is getting mixed with Municipal
waste. According to Master Development Plan, many industrial estates have
come up at different places in and around Srinagar City. The details of hazardous
and non hazardous waste generated by these industries are not known, but it is
expected that at least 100 - 150 MT/d industrial solid waste is generated which is
disposed off in an indiscriminate way.
(To be concluded)
* Athar Parvaiz is the staffer with The Kashmir Times. This is the second
article of a series of articles as part of a fellowship awarded to the author
by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi.
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