Srinagar, Sep 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) has taken action against local bodies for violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, even as urban local bodies across Jammu and Kashmir report progress in waste segregation, processing and remediation.
According to a status report for 2025-26, the JKPCC issued 26 directions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to local bodies, including the Rural Development Department and other relevant agencies, for violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The directions were issued during the period from April 2025 to March 2026.
The report further states that environmental compensation was levied on 13 local bodies, including the Rural Development Department, during the period. The compensation table shows a total of Rs 35.63422 crore levied, against which only Rs 30 lakh had been recovered.
The report highlights several initiatives undertaken in the Jammu division. The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has been operating an Organic Waste Converter at Narwal, where vegetable-market waste is converted into compost at source, with the stated objective of reducing transportation and landfill loads.
The corporation has also introduced a “Wall of Shame” initiative aimed at discouraging open littering and promoting behavioural change.
An integrated solid waste management facility with a capacity of 138 tonnes per day (TPD) at Bandhu-Rakh, Zone-III, is also under progress, with provisions for waste segregation, recycling and scientific disposal.
Under the Green Colony Initiative, Gandhi Nagar has been identified as a model area where residents are encouraged to undertake composting to minimise household waste.
The report says in the Urban local Bodies Jammu 24 Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) are fully operational, while construction of MRFs at five additional local bodies is under way. Bio-remediation of legacy waste has also been completed at several locations, including Katra, Samba, Udhampur, Kathua, RS Pura, Hiranagar, Doda, Poonch, Bhaderwah and Rajouri.
In Kashmir, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has reported legacy waste remediation involving 11 lakh metric tonnes at the Achan landfill site.
A solid waste management plant with a capacity of 800 TPD is proposed for construction, according to the report. It adds that 100 TPD of waste is being channelised through MRFs, while 84.5 TPD is being treated through composting.
Among other urban local bodies in Kashmir, door-to-door collection of waste has been initiated by all Municipal Councils and Committees. Dry waste is being channelised to recyclers, while wet waste is being treated through composting.
The report also records completion of bio-remediation at Pahalgam, Tangmarg, Tral, Budgam, Baramulla, Awantipora, Pampore, Pulwama and Bijbehara.
The JKPCC’s enforcement data, however, indicates a substantial gap between the environmental compensation imposed and the amount recovered.
The compensation imposed on municipal bodies and other local authorities for violations of the Solid Waste Management Rules, with individual amounts ranging from lakhs to crores of rupees. The cumulative amount levied stands at Rs 35.63422 crore, while the amount recovered is Rs 30 lakh.
