Jammu & Kashmir: Srinagar plans modern integrated waste management plant to process 11.5 LMT of legacy waste

Srinagar: Srinagar is planning to get rid of its legacy waste of 11.5 lakh metric tonnes accumulated over the past four decades in the next two years and host a modern integrated waste management plant at the 123-acre Achan dumping site in the centre of the city, said officials.

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"Our aim is not just waste management but to improve the whole ecosystem. These projects will address the long-pending issues this city has faced. We will get rid of the legacy waste hopefully by 2028," said Fazl ul Haseeb, commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation.


When the project is completed, the 2,500-year-old city located on the banks of river Jhelum and between Anchar and Dal lakes will no longer smell foul. However, experts have raised concerns that the stench and toxic air emanating from the mountains of garbage from the dumpsite, allocated in 1986, would engulf a major part of central Srinagar, turning it into an environmental, health as well as social disaster.

Officials said a ₹61 crore biomining and bioremediation project for processing legacy waste has started and advanced machinery has been deployed at the site. The project is targeted for completion in 30 months.

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The ₹361 crore ISWM project has been approved by the government and tendered as well. The detailed project report for the 800 tonnes per day ISWM project prepared by SMC has been technically vetted by the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar.