The Jammu and Kashmir Climate Action Group (JKCAG) has welcomed the Bandipora district administration’s decision to make home composting of biodegradable waste mandatory for households with sufficient space around their homes.
JKCAG Chairman Raja Muzaffar Bhat termed the decision a landmark step, saying it would help reduce the load on the waste dumping site at Zalwan.
“I appreciate the decision taken by DC Bandipora Indu Kanwal by ordering home composting of food waste, kitchen waste and other biodegradable waste in Bandipora town,” Bhat said.
“I hope this practice is followed across the district soon and deputy commissioners in other districts also issue similar orders,” he said.
Bhat said such measures were mandated under the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2016, and would promote segregation and treatment of biodegradable waste at source.
He said the J&K Pollution Control Committee in 2021 had imposed a penalty of more than Rs 64 lakh on Municipal Council Bandipora for allegedly violating the Municipal Solid Waste Rules by dumping waste near Zalwan, which falls in the Wular catchment area.
Bhat said the Municipal Council Bandipora challenged the JKPCC order before the National Green Tribunal, which upheld the penalty and directed the council to pay the amount.
He said the municipal council subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which also upheld the order and criticised the Bandipora municipality over the waste dumping issue.
Bhat said effective implementation of home composting, along with proper segregation and waste processing, could help address the district’s waste management problems and reduce pressure on dumping sites.
About The Author
