Once pristine water body becomes dumping yard in Anantnag

Once pristine water body becomes dumping yard in Anantnag

Anantnag: The Aripath Nallah, a vital water body here in Anantnag district, has been turned into a dumping yard, which is causing immense damage to the water body in particular and to the environment in general.
Only recently the lack of water in the Aripath Nallah had forced hundreds of farmers to sow corn in place of the traditional paddy in their farmlands. “Pollution caused by the dumping of garbage along its banks is one of the prime reasons,” a farmer in the area told Kashmir Reader.
Running along the western periphery of the main town of Anantnag, the Aripath Nallah separates the town from some adjoining villages. A bypass road, constructed to decongest the main town, also runs along the Nallah.
A cursory look at the banks reveals heaps of garbage, including the hazardous polythene, dumped at multiple places. The interesting part is that the Nallah is almost visible from the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
“Many officers of the district administration even have their cars parked along the banks of this Nallah, but unfortunately no one seems to be bothered about the pathetic condition it is in,” the locals told Kashmir Reader.
They said that only till a decade back the Nallah was a pristine water source and people even used to drink from it. “People used to offer Namaz on the banks of this Nallah after they performed ablution with its crystal clear water. Today, if somebody’s shoes get wet with the water of Aripath, they go home and wash the shoes. Such is the situation it is in,” the locals lamented.
They added that apart from some people living along the Nallah, the shops, offices, and even municipal authorities dump garbage along the banks.
“The foul smell emanating from the Nallah is unbearable now. Every day you can see people bringing their garbage and dumping it here, and the administration keeps its eyes shut to the plunder,” the locals said.
Kashmir Reader talked to the Assistant Commissioner of Revenue (ACR) Anantnag, Shoaub Noor, who acknowledged that the banks had become a dumping yard. “We do carry out frequent cleanliness drives but unless people stop throwing garbage there, the drives won’t suffice,” Noor, who also heads the Municipal Council Anantnag, told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the administration will carry out an awareness campaign among the stakeholders, who are mostly people living along the banks. “Unfortunately, most of them dump the garbage there to avoid paying a nominal fee to the municipality. An awareness needs to be created among the people regarding the perils of this practice,” he said.
He added that the administration has prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the restoration of this water body. “But that is a long-term project, and for now immediate steps need to be taken,” he said.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.