'When Will Govt Relocate Srinagar Landfill From Achan?' Ask Distressed Locals

Producer: Maaz Hasan
Video Editor: Nitin Bisht
Cameraperson: Ubaid Mukhtar

"I never imagined this place would become such a massive garbage dump," says Ruksana, a resident of Achan locality in Srinagar, living near the landfill that has turned into a mountain of trash. 

This is the only landfill site in Srinagar where garbage from all over the city - domestic, industrial and medical wastes, are dumped, leaving people in a state of apathy.

When we went to speak to the residents, a strong foul odour lingered in the atmosphere.

Residents say that at least 100 trucks carrying garbage from all over the city dump the trash at the landfill site, and many times, on a windy day, the waste flies and lands on their houses.

"A few weeks back, my cattle were attacked and killed by stray dogs. Stray dogs from all over Srinagar are also brought here and are being released. This place is also full of rats."

Ruksana, Resident

The residents, who are mostly daily wagers, complain about the persistent health issues they face while living near the landfill. "We earn Rs 100-500 per day, that too we have to spend over buying medicines," added Ruksana.

Another resident, Sona Mall, who has lived in the locality for eight years, told us, "Because of the landfill here, there are difficulties in getting marriage proposals for our daughters. We often fall ill, and because of that, people tend to stay away from us in fear of getting the infection."

'Residents Have Vacated Their House'

Several residents who could afford accommodation for themselves have left the locality. Bashir Ahmad's family is one of them. "My family decided to leave this area to escape the foul smell. What else can we say? My family doesn't want to come back. You can smell yourself how terrible it is here," says Bashir.

"I have two kids, and both prefer to stay away from their home. We don't have any option. We are financially weak. This dumping site functions non-stop. There are patients in every house here."

Fayaz Ahmed Gojhwari, Local Resident

'High Risk Of Communicable Diseases'

We also spoke to a medical staff member about the health hazards the landfill site causes. Dr Naeem Firdous, a Pulmonologist, warns us about the potential health risks to the people living around the landfill site.

Talking about the potential contamination that the waste can do, Dr Naeem says, "Non-biodegradable waste gets blocked everywhere and also releases toxic substances in water bodies, and that water is recycled for our usages. Because of this, there is a danger of spreading diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue."

He also highlighted the harmful effects of the resultant air pollution.

"When the garbage is disposed of in the environment, our lungs might be affected, resulting in respiratory illnesses like pneumonia. Asthma patients have serious deleterious effects. They might face breathing issues, and their treatment can't be optimised in the vicinity where foul smells keep coming."

Dr Naeem Firdous, Pulmonologist

The doctors also warned us about the presence of carcinogenic substances at the dumping site, which can result in an increase in cancer cases around the locality. "There is also a high chance of diseases spreading in these areas because of the presence of rodents, rats, and dogs," added Dr Naeem.

We also met Salman Sagar, former Mayor Of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, to speak to him about the problems persisting around the landfill site.

He says, "In 2006, residents of Achan moved to J&K High Court seeking a stay on the dumping site. In 2007, the court sent SMC a notice asking it to close the site within 18 months and find a new one. The case is still pending before the court."

We tried meeting the Srinagar Municipal Corporation Commissioner regarding this issue. We continuously went to his office for two days and waited but could not meet him.

We also tried contacting him over phone calls and text messages, but we didn't get any response. We wanted to hear from the SMC commissioner if the corporation plans to take any steps to resolve this issue.

(The Quint has also reached out to the commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation on the issues raised by the residents. The response is awaited. The page would be updated once a response is received)

(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)