High-level meeting with top officials addresses landfill risks, waste management, urban dev challenges in city
SRINAGAR: A high-level meeting was held on Tuesday in Srinagar, led by the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, to address the serious civic issues raised by the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) JK. The meeting saw the participation of senior officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, the SMC Commissioner, engineers from various departments, the Director of Health Services, and SSP Traffic.
The GCC delegation was headed by retired IAS officer Naseem Lanker and included retired officers and experts from different fields, such as Er. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili, a retired Chief Engineer; Mr. Abdul Rashid Khan, a retired IGP; Dr. Farooq Ahmad Kaloo, former Director of Animal Husbandry; Dr. Fiaz Fazili, a surgeon and healthcare policy expert; Er. Hakim Iftikhar, former Chief Town Planner of J&K; Er. Iftikhar A. Drabu, associated with WSP India and the ICRC; and Mohammad Rafi, Director of Education and Deputy Commissioner, who also serves as the Secretary of GCC J&K.
During the meeting, the group raised several pressing public issues. One of the primary concerns was the Achan landfill site, which the group highlighted as a significant threat to public health and the environment. They warned that residents living nearby in areas such as Eidgah, Lal Bazar, Soura, and even those around SKIMS Hospital could be inhaling hazardous gases, which may cause cancer, respiratory problems, infertility, allergies, and produce a strong foul smell.
The GCC urged authorities to conduct detailed surveys to assess gas levels in these areas and emphasized the importance of ongoing air quality monitoring until a sustainable solution is adopted. They also demanded that residents be informed about the potential health risks and provided with safety guidelines aligned with OSHA standards, including measures they could take to protect themselves.
Another critical issue discussed was the dumping ground near Jamkash in Hyderpora, where waste trucks were reportedly dumping garbage indiscriminately. The members pointed out the unsafe practice of local women sorting through the waste with their bare hands and called for immediate action to stop this hazardous activity.
Beyond these concerns, the meeting also addressed issues such as inadequate drainage and sewer systems, encroachment on public land, the lack of effective flood prevention planning, the transformation of farmlands into construction sites, and the need for better coordination among various departments. The GCC also stressed the importance of enacting stronger laws to regulate unplanned development.
Food safety was another topic of concern, with the group urging increased inspections to ensure hygiene, limit harmful additives, and maintain overall food quality to minimize health risks.
The Divisional Commissioner assured the delegation that all these issues would be taken seriously, and he promised that relevant departments would be instructed to initiate immediate remedial actions to address these challenges effectively.