Nod to three solid waste management plants for Dooru-Verinag: Itoo

Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo announced in the Assembly on Thursday that three solid waste management plants, each with a capacity of 4 tonnes per day (TPD), have been approved for the Municipal Committee of Dooru-Verinag.

In her statement, the minister also highlighted that a 4 TPD solid waste management plant is already functional at Verinag, where dry waste is processed at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), while wet waste undergoes pit composting for organic decomposition. She emphasised the administration’s efforts in waste segregation at the source, with the distribution of twin household dustbins across all homes. Additionally, twin-bin systems have been installed in commercial areas to facilitate proper garbage collection in the twin towns of Anantnag district.

The minister was responding on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to a query raised by GA Mir in the Assembly. She elaborated on the waste collection system, explaining that eight hoppers are deployed daily to collect garbage from households and commercial establishments. The collected waste is then transported to the Material Recovery Facility Plant at Verinag, where it undergoes further segregation. Dry waste is processed and recycled, while wet waste is composted to generate organic manure.

To further strengthen waste management in Dooru and Verinag, the government has procured eight hoppers, 25 tricycles and a truck equipped with a sucker. Additionally, the department plans to acquire a weighbridge, baling machine and shredder to enhance sanitation and waste segregation efficiency.

The minister also provided an update on the bio-remediation of legacy waste across multiple dumping sites, including Bhagwati Nagar (Jammu), Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Tral, Bijbehara, Pahalgam, Anantnag and Tangmarg. So far, 3.88 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste have been successfully bio-remediated.

She said contracts have been awarded for the bio-remediation of 6.16 lakh MT of waste at Kot Bhalwal by JMC, 2.98 lakh MT by DULBK and 1.20 lakh MT across seven ULBs under DULBJ. Additionally, tenders have been floated for the bio-remediation of 11 lakh MT legacy waste at Achan, Srinagar.

With these initiatives, the government aims to enhance waste management infrastructure, promote environmental sustainability and improve sanitation standards across Jammu and Kashmir.