Srinagar, Aug 8: The Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society (JKCS) has issued a stark warning over the worsening environmental and public health emergency posed by the Achan garbage dumping site, located near Sangam Eidgah in Srinagar. Calling the situation “unbearable and life-threatening,” the civil society body has appealed to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for immediate and resolute action.
Established in 1985 as a scientific landfill with technical assistance from Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd., the Achan site has over the decades devolved into an unmanaged and hazardous dumping ground sprawling over 600 kanals (approximately 75 acres). Currently, over 500 metric tonnes of unsegregated municipal solid waste are dumped at the site daily.
JKCS cited mounting scientific observations and health data pointing to the presence of toxic leachates, harmful methane gas emissions, and airborne contaminants — all of which are directly contributing to rising cases of respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, and even cancer risks.
“The situation has deteriorated to a level where residents are contemplating leaving their ancestral homes just to breathe clean air,” JKCS said, adding that the unbearable stench is no longer confined to the Achan or Eidgah area, but now affects distant neighborhoods like Jamia Masjid, Lal Bazar, and other parts of Downtown Srinagar.
The group further warned of an alarming spike in disease-spreading insects, stray dogs, and air pollution—making daily life “insufferable” for the thousands who live in the surrounding areas of Sangam, Anchar, Soura, Zoonimar, and Sekidafar.
JKCS has demanded the immediate relocation of the dumping site to a scientifically approved, non-residential zone. They also called for strict enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, independent environmental and health audits—especially around the Anchar Lake area—and urgent medical interventions for the affected communities. (CNS)
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