Mumbai, June 30 -- An amicus curiae appointed by the National Green Tribunal submitted a note to the Principal Bench in connection with Original Application No. 606 of 2018 after reviewing a compliance affidavit from the Union Territory. The note observed that Jammu and Kashmir generates 1,557 tonnes (t) of municipal solid waste every day. It assessed that nearly 1,027 t are processed daily, leaving a treatment shortfall of about 530 t per day and that around 26 t remain uncollected each day.

The note further stated that nearly 352 t are currently being deposited in landfills and that a proposal to use Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) in cement plants is under consideration. It recorded that a 300-tonne-per-day Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant has been sanctioned and is expected to be completed by March 2027, and that two Construction and Demolition waste processing facilities are likely to be commissioned this year. Concerns were raised about the scale of legacy waste and the pace of planned interventions. The submission set out timelines and proposed projects but noted gaps in operational detail.

The amicus noted that around 1.816 million (mn) t of old waste lie at 101 identified dump sites across 49 urban local bodies. It highlighted that information on leachate treatment, land reclamation, site restoration and the future use of reclaimed land has not been adequately provided by the authorities. The lack of such details was described as an obstacle to effective remediation.

The note also flagged environmental risks from waste processing units located close to sensitive water bodies, citing the Bandipora facility near the Wular Ramsar Wetland as an example where leachate could pollute freshwater sources. It pointed to flood-related damage to processing installations at RS Pura and Arnia, indicating insufficient disaster-resilient planning. The amicus suggested measures to safeguard environmentally sensitive water bodies and urged more comprehensive technical plans.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.