By: Er Mohammad Ashraf Fazili (Former Chief Engineer)
In my childhood around 1950, early in the morning it was a common sight to see a “Saqqa” carrying sheepskin filled with water sprinkling the same on the roads and a sweeper followed to sweep the roads cleaning from the dust or some waste material and dump the same on a hand cart to carry it to some dumping site. The roads were found clean before the shops were opened and school children would walk to their schools and office going people would walk or ride bicycles or tongas as the petrol or diesel driven vehicle was owned by only a few people only. Later on rikshaws, minibuses and finally large SRTC buses plus KMD buses started to ply on various roads thus polluting the clean air of the city with their emissions besides raising dust. At a point of time water tankers equipped with sprinklers at back were used by SMC to sprinkle water on some wide roads of the city causing a cooling effect in the atmosphere besides reducing the dust pollution. However this practice too was stopped later on.
In 1963 on my return from South India after completing my Degree in Engineering the first action that I initiated was that I wrote an application along with site-plan to the Administrator Srinagar Municipality requesting for tiling the muddy lanes of our Mohalla Kalalduri Nayid Kadal expecting little response, but to my surprise within a couple of days the Administrator along with Er. Abdur Rashid Mir along with field staff inspected all inner and outer lanes and the tiling work of all the lanes was taken up fixing the tiles manufactured by Srinagar Municipality in their premises at Karan Nagar. Thanks to them they completed the job within a fortnight.
According to Rajtarangni the city of Srinagar called Srinagari was founded by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. It became the capital of Kashmir around 960 AD. The city’s old town expanded during the 14th-16th centuries particularly under the Shah Mir dynasty. The Mughals used Srinagar as their summer resort, left a lasting architectural legacy with the construction of gardens like Shalimar and Nishat. Srinagar was later ruled by the Afghan Durranis and Sikhs. In 1846 it became the summer capital of the Dogra kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. The British gained control in 1846. after India’s independence in 1947 Srinagar faced an attack by forces sponsored by neighbouring countries, leading to integration with India. Today Srinagar is a major city in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, known for its scenic beauty and cultural heritage.
Srinagar Muncipality was established in 1886 by the monarchy to oversee civic affairs in the city, it functioned as a State department with nominal members. Its functions included civil construction projects, health and hygiene management, water works, fire fighting within the city limits.
During 1911-1922 the Muncipal limits extended to include Zoonimar, Batamaloo, Sonawar. The Muncipality constructed roads, footpaths, and gardens and introduced street lighting. In 1956 the Srinagar Muncipal Committee was governed under the J&K Muncipal Act. In 2003 Srinagar Muncipality was upgraded to Srinagar Muncipal Corporation with the post of Administrator designated as Commissioner
At present the SMC comprises of 74 wards and is led by a Mayor and overseen by a Commissioner. The Corporation is responsible for administering the city’s infrastructure, including roads, water supply, and sanitation.
The master plan 2035 has been prepared to cover a threshold population of three million by 2035 spread over an area of 766 sq. Km.I.e., 84%increase. The projected generation of Solid Waste shall be 1500 tons I.e., about three times the present volume.
We are battling with the already accumulated mountains of solid waste at Achan besides about 500 tons of daily deposits. Whether the SMC has planned to tackle the problem proportionately is yet to be known.
Solution To The Pollution.Solid Waste Disposal Management Of Greater Srinagar City
Recently the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) members have sounded emergency alarms before the House Committee of MLAs and the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir that the disease manifestations from Achen site already exists as pointed out by an eminent, experienced world renowned Dr. Maqbool Fazili in his writeup in Kashmir Pen dated 17th July 2025. In this regard I must comment as:
Way back in 1981, when Er. G.R. Mir CE UEED and I as Xen S&D Division, the J&K Government entrusted to UEED, the task of formulation of the feasibility report with the objective of developing the baseline information and parameters for formulating and designing a well-conceived cost-effective scheme for hygienic collection, transportation, and disposal of solid wastes of Greater Srinagar city. While the second phase of the work under this project would involve the exercise for establishment of the appropriate scheme and its engineering aspects. Having retained M/S Universal EnviroScience as consultants, a report was formulated, which identified and delineated the areas and essential components which were of relevance to the second phase of the work and also provided a conceptual system of the solid waste management programme for Greater Srinagar city.
The subjects covered were:
Review of growth pattern of Srinagar Town based on population, sectoral activities, geo-climatic and other conditions and land-based use pattern.
Identification and assessment of sources, nature, and quantum of solid wastes in Srinagar town based on sources, nature- physical and chemical characteristics, classification of solid wastes-assessment of recoverable materials and of fuel and fertilizer production and quantum.
Inventory and assessment of existing solid waste collection (including house boats and dunga boats), transportation and disposal facilities and manpower and workshop facilities.
Conceptual system of solid waste collection, transportation and hygienic disposal and location of additional sites in Srinagar.
Identification of the areas for further investigations and survey.
Guidelines for improvement/modifications of available data/reports.
Recommendations on financial aspects and time bound programme of the project.
The physical and chemical characteristics of the solid waste samples revealed that the wastes are most amenable to composting. Besides other recommendations for improving the door-to-door collection system, transportation, sanitary landfill for a few years, installation of mechanical compost plants at Noorbagh and at the landfill site within a period of five years was recommended to Srinagar Municipality. The recommendations were partly implemented by the SMC, but the main recommendation for installation of mechanical compost plant (MCP) was shelved for reasons best known to the authorities.
The issue of preparation of a detailed project report on Solid waste Disposal of Srinagar city was again taken up by Srinagar Municipality in 2000 AD, but its results were not known.
The problem of stench in Srinagar city, would have been, eliminated if the proposed “Mechanical compost plants” would have been installed in time, which would have also minimized the land area required for sanitary landfill, besides generating organic compost to be made available to the farmers to enrich their soil. This way the harmful effects of chemical compost would also have been obviated.
I was specially deputed by UEED to New Delhi to inspect the mechanical compost plant of NDMC in eighties. I also attended an interstate meeting in Housing Department in New Delhi, who took review of the already functioning compost plants of different cities. I understood that our state had made no efforts to obtain Central assistance for establishing the mechanical compost plant. Later I was recommended by late Er. G.R. Mir Chief Engineer UEED for visiting Japan for observing their system of disposal of solid and liquid wastes, but it did not mature as my sanction order fell victim of red tape in the secretariat offices as usual.
As observed by me at NDMC the process of conversion of compost takes just three weeks by dumping the wastes directly from trucks on a cement concrete platform, sprinkling water and turning the wastes mechanically for 21 days during which period considerable heat gets generated in the wastes and decomposition takes place. Thereafter the wastes are placed on conveyer belts and hand picking is done for any hard materials like stones, metals, glasses, plastics, polythene etc. by the persons who remain on either side of the slow-moving belt. For smaller elements screening is also recommended. The decomposed waste ultimately goes to the pulveriser, for grinding it into a powder, which is packed in bags to be sold to farmers. There is no problem of stench during this operation as has been observed in various metropolitan cities including the capital city of Delhi.
Everyday there is a protest lodged in the media by the inhabitants of the surrounding areas, even Imam of Jamia Mosque Srinagar has condemned from pulpit on Friday prayers, the apathy of the authorities for not being able to tackle the problem of stench emanating from Achan dumping site for the last three decades. Similarly, the Brari-numbal mini lake in the heart of city had turned to be a cesspool as observed by me on a visit sometime back, adding to the already existing foul smell from Achan site. The STP constructed at huge cost was reported to be nonfunctional and filth from four lakh citizens pours into the mini lake round the clock. The quality of discharge from the STP installed on its garland sewer needs to be monitored closely.
In view of the growing menace of stench spreading into the interior of the city of Srinagar and nearby areas including SKIMS, it is high time that Govt. wakes up to the situation and takes up the construction of the compost plants as recommended by the experts of international repute.
According to Master Plan of Srinagar Metropolitan area 2000-2021, for a population of 12 lakhs in 2000 AD and estimated 23.50 lakhs in 2021 AD, Solid Waste including fruit and vegetable wastes works out to 538 tons and 1356 tons / day respectively. Out of 538 tons of solid waste 300 tons were handled by the Municipality in 2000 AD and the remaining 236 tons waste was partly dumped in water bodies, partly in ditches and partly salvaged in the form of Kabadi materials at domestic levels. As for the disposal of waste materials, SMC managed to collect the garbage from 308 collection points in 2000 AD (575 points in 2013) within the municipal limits. These collection points were interspersed all over the city on roads in open form. However, in 2013 in certain selected areas, plastic dustbins were provided by the SMC and door to door collection was made against a monthly charge of Rs. 50/- per household. This had reduced the open spread of solid waste attracting street dogs, besides spreading local obnoxious smell in these areas.
According to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, it has at present only one Dumping Site at Syedpora Achan which comprises of 540 Kanals of land, where the waste is being spread over and is further being covered with clay and use of disinfectants is also being made reportedly. The existing Dumping site is reportedly being improved and modernized in a scientific Engineered Landfill site through the financial and technical guidance of Asian Development Bank. A detailed action plan/project report on this score has been prepared. In fact, some of the works was reportedly taken up for execution by the J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency against the money released by the Asian Development Bank. All the environmental and other related issues will be redressed under the modernization plan. The modernization of existing open dumping site into a scientific Sanitary Landfill site was to be taken up for execution by the J&KERA against the estimated cost of Rs. 22.00 Crores that will take care of all the pollutants including that of air quality, ground water quality and aesthetic look and landscaping of the interior of Landfill site as per guidelines of J&K SPCB. Besides this there was to be a permanent facility for regular monitoring of these components in future
As can be viewed from the future programme of SMC regarding disposal of solid wastes, the recommendation of the construction of Mechanical Compost Plant has been ignored for unknown reasons. It would be prudent if some officers were deputed to inspect the working of the mechanical compost plant of NDMC, whereby they would get a clear idea of its efficiency and its suitability for our conditions.
However, there was an encouraging news of SMC as reported in the media sometime back as:
That in a move towards making Srinagar city garbage and dumpster free, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has added 150 new collection and transportation vehicles, and starts its path-breaking GIS based and real time GPS monitored 100% door to door Segregated Waste Collection system and
The SMC has initiated removal of dumpsters to make city free of dumpsters and garbage.
Commissioner SMC, Athar Aamir Khan has issued a revised area and ward wise deployment schedule of Garbage Collection Vehicles across the city to ensure 100% collection of segregated dry and wet waste.
SMC has added more than 150 vehicles to its existing fleet including 100 new light motor vehicles for door-to-door primary collection and around 50 new heavy motor vehicles including modern compactors for secondary transportation.
All vehicles have been enabled with GPS devices for real time monitoring. The GIS mapping and geo-fencing of all areas and wards up to lane level has been done to ensure efficient and timely waste collection. The areas and households to be serviced by each vehicle have been mapped.
The Integrated Solid Waste Management IT System under Smart City project will enable comprehensive monitoring. It has been enabled with features including live location tracking, route & time deviation alerts, grievance redress and quality assurance tools.
The garbage collection vehicles will reach each household and every commercial establishment including shops in Srinagar City. People will have to necessarily hand over the segregated waste to SMC garbage collection vehicles.
SMC is closing all the garbage vulnerable points as well as the sites where dumpsters used to be located. It has been prohibited to deposit waste at such points now onwards. General public as well as commercial establishments shall handover the waste to SMC’s vehicles only and shall refrain from putting them at any other place.
The notification issued by Commissioner SMC, Athar Aamir Khan also informs the general public that in case Garbage Collection vehicle doesn’t come to their house or establishment or is not on time, the local ward level officers shall be contacted, or SMC’s control room shall be informed. The contact details of concerned ward level officials and details of vehicles deployed in each area have been shared in the public notification.
The success of the initiative is heavily dependent on the participation and cooperation of the public. Segregated waste collection will help SMC better manage the waste at the Achan site.
SMC is also working on the project for removal of legacy waste and biomining and bioremediation of existing waste at its Achan Landfill site. The legal waste removal plan has been prepared in consultation with IIT Jammu and NIT Srinagar and has been projected for funding under SBM 2.0 (GNS)
However, the installation of a Mechanical Compost Plant needs to be given a serious thought.
Suggested Alternatives: While the scheme of the Solid Waste Disposal of Greater Srinagar was in the formulation a cheaper solution was proposed/devised. That is dig two pits of one meter diameter and one meter depth near each other by a household who has a kitchen garden, and the little space needed for the twin pits. The biodegradable waste is to be dumped daily in one pit and after one foot of fill dust it with lime and repeat the process till the pit is filled. Next use the second pit similarly and give rest to the first pit which yields an organic compost on excavation. The pits can be used like that thus reducing the burden on SMC proportionately. I have been following this practice for the past five decades and have never used the services of SMC for the Solid Waste Disposal.
Hence besides installation of a Mechanical Compost Plant at Noorbagh as proposed by the consultants after a detailed survey and investigation we would be able to enrich our soil for cultivation and also avoid the chemical fertilizers that are harmful to our health.
Another solution as witnessed by me at the International Water Summit at Abu Dhabi was ORCA, an environmentally friendly alternative solution to food waste disposal. The ORCA comes in four sizes. The ORCA model that suits your business best will depend on how much food waste is generated every day in your facility and how many hours a day your staff will be feeding the ORCA.
All four models are heavy duty machines. Each model aerobically processes food waste, utilizing ORCA Bio Chips to hold high levels of Microorganisms that digest organic waste
Similarly SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES (SET) is successfully pioneering a ‘green print’ for how the world can accommodate rapid reduction in waste while dramatically reducing Carbon and Water Footprint. SET combines advanced modern technology and simplicity dedicated to cutting edge solutions in the fields of consumer products and sustainability.
How it Works:
Strong crushing power with minimum noise.
Auto shutdown once drying is confirmed through our intelligent energy saving system
Food Waste is crushed and dried using high-heat cross sectional multi-rolling system conjunction with air-circulation.
Self -cleaning technique-once the operating cycle is complete, refill the bucket with water and press the self-cleaning button.
WASTE TO ENERGY: “Waste incineration not only serves the purpose of environmentally sound waste disposal but also generates significant amounts of energy in the form of electricity and heat. In this way it contributes to climate protection and helps preserve natural resources.” In fact the present mountain of solid waste can be used to generate heat and electricity by the installation of incinerator which does not need segregation as the whole material is burnt at over 1000 degrees inside it causing no pollution.
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