Srinagar, May 16 (KNS) The Omar Abdullah-led Council of Ministers in Jammu and Kashmir has approved major urban sanitation and waste management projects worth nearly Rs 433 crore for Srinagar, Baramulla and Rajouri, officials said.
The projects are aimed at strengthening solid waste and used-water management systems in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions and are expected to improve sanitation, reduce pollution and support sustainable urban development.
Officials said the biggest project approved by the government is an 800 Tonnes Per Day (TPD) Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) facility at the Saidpora Achan dump yard in Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 361 crore.
The project will be implemented through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
According to officials, Srinagar currently generates nearly 600 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, comprising around 60 per cent wet waste and 40 per cent dry waste.
While the Srinagar Municipal Corporation already has systems for source segregation, door-to-door waste collection and transportation, authorities said scientific processing and disposal infrastructure needed significant improvement.
The proposed 800 TPD capacity has been planned keeping in view the present and future waste management requirements of the city.
Officials said the project is expected to reduce open dumping, foul smell, pest infestation, drainage choking and other environmental and public health hazards in Srinagar.
The Council of Ministers has also granted administrative approval for a used-water management project in Baramulla at an estimated cost of Rs 37.96 crore.
Officials said rapid urbanisation, trade growth and institutional expansion in Baramulla had put pressure on existing sewerage and sanitation infrastructure, necessitating the project.
Similarly, a used-water management project worth Rs 34.43 crore has been approved for Rajouri town in Jammu division.
According to officials, Rajouri has witnessed rapid urban growth due to increasing trade activity, educational institutions and administrative expansion, resulting in stress on drainage, sanitation and waste management systems, especially in densely populated and commercial areas.
The projects in Baramulla and Rajouri will include interception and diversion of wastewater, sewage pumping stations, sewage treatment plants and septage treatment facilities using advanced technology.
Officials said the projects are expected to prevent untreated wastewater from flowing into drains, rivers and other water bodies, thereby reducing pollution and improving public health.
The government said the initiatives would also help improve waste segregation, scientific disposal systems, sanitation infrastructure and environmental protection while generating employment opportunities and improving the quality of life in urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS).
