 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: The Municipal Committee Magam has openly violated MSW and EP-Laws, as the concerned department pressed their men and machinery into service during night hours to dump the heaps of garbage and other waste in Ferozpora Nallah in Magam area.
There are reports that Municipal Committee Magam is hell-bent to deteriorate the health condition of the common masses at large in Municipality limits and its adjoining areas.
“In a surprising way, the officials of MC Magam were seen dumping the garbage and other waste during night hours in Ferozpora Nallah in Magam that was dumped at different locations in the market from past few days, said sources. Sources said, “The concerned authorities of the MC Magam are least bothered about the health and instead of that they are deteriorating the health conditions of the local populace that especially belongs to Magam town”.
“One is fully aware and government is trying hard to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the valley, but perhaps MC Magam is somehow spreading that disease and there are chances that some new diseases may erupt as the water that is passing from Ferozpora nallah has been deteriorated by the negligence of the Municipal Committee, Magam, sources informed.
Sources also said that the newly elected Chairman and councilors of MC Magam were present on the spot when the garbage was illegally dumped and they pressed the men and machinery into the service.
Despite knowing the consequences and other health hazards issues,the Chairman and Councilors were watching all these things as mute spectators and somehow they directed the employees to dump the garbage in Ferozpora nallah.
“Last time there was an illegal dumping and we were having no option except to dump it in the nearby nallah, newly elected members of MC were heard as saying, astonishingly they also said that higher officials of Urban Local Bodies Kashmir (ULBK) have directed them to dump this garbage somewhere”, sources informed.
During night hours the men and machinery were pressed into work so that nothing remained visible, but all that was captured in camera by the local residents of Magam area.
Instead of implementing and enforcing Municipal Solid Waste Rules (MSW Rules 2016), the municipal authorities are seen openly violating the laws and other things at their own during night hours in Magam town.
Local resident Lateef Ahmad said that heaps of garbage and waste have been dumped near the bank of famous Ferozpora nallah that has been polluted by the locals, otherwise this nallah originates from the glaciers in Gulmarg and its surroundings.
There is an open violation of Environmental Protection law (EPL) by the concerned department, and it should be taken seriously by the higher authorities, Lateef told early times.
There are scores of villages in Central and North Kashmir that are dependent for drinking water on Ferozpora nallah, and due to the callous approach, and negligence they put lakhs of souls at risk, for which a high level enquiry should be initiated by the government, locals added.
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