Residents complain of foul smell from garbage site

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 12

Residents living near the largest garbage dumping ground of Srinagar in Achen are up in arms against the authorities for failing to control the foul smell coming from the site.

Residents said the foul smell was posing health risks for them.

“We have been asking the authorities to take necessary measures. Many people have already fallen sick. We want to inhale clean air,” said Ali Muhammad, a resident.

“Earlier, the authorities used to treat the garbage with some chemical which used to reduce the ill-effects but now nothing is being done. We have been crying for help. It has become unbearable now,” said another resident.

They appealed to the authorities to address their concern. Nearly 450 metric tonnes of solid waste is produced in the city every day and is dumped in the heart of Srinagar in Achen, the only dumping site in the city.

Ghulam Rasool, Chief Sanitation Officer of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), admitted that foul smell was emanating from the site and claimed they were trying to eliminate it by spraying disinfectants.

“A decomposition cell is being constructed at the site due to which the smell is spreading in the evening. We are trying to eliminate it. This will take about three days, after which it will be over,” the official said.