Srinagar, July 4 -- The city has lived for years with the stench of untreated garbage rising from its landfill. Achan has become a symbol of neglect, a dumping ground that holds millions of tonnes of waste, leaching into soil and water, poisoning the air, and spreading disease among those who live nearby. For residents, this has never been a technical issue alone; it has been a daily ordeal of foul air, contaminated water, and recurring illness. Children grow up breathing toxins, families endure skin infections and respiratory problems, and the community suffers silently as the site expands into a mountain of untreated filth. The promise of scientific waste management has been long pending, and the suffering has been real.

The announceme...