Srinagar, March 3 -- Solid waste management has long been one of the most pressing challenges in rural Jammu and Kashmir, and the recent announcement of a comprehensive plan covering all blocks and panchayats is a welcome step. Yet, the reality on the ground continues to expose gaps between policy and practice. Infrastructure has been created; segregation sheds, compost pits, soak pits, sanitary complexes, and plastic waste management units; but the absence of effective segregation at source, weak monitoring, and poor maintenance has left many communities struggling with visible heaps of garbage and the health hazards that accompany them.

The government's acknowledgement of these shortcomings is significant as it concedes that segregatio...