SRINAGAR: Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, the Chief Secretary, today urged local authorities, especially municipalities, to segregate 100% of trash at the source for scientific treatment and to maintain the general cleanliness of the regions under their authority. These comments were delivered by Dr. Mehta as he presided over a meeting to assess the suggested action plan created to preserve our water bodies in accordance with the NGT’s recommendations. Along with other interested parties, the meeting was attended by the ACS, Jal Shakti Department, the Principal Secretary, H&UDD, the Commissioner Secretary, RDD, the Commissioner, JMC/SMC, and the Chief Engineer, I&FC. Dr. Mehta took note of the steps that have been taken thus far to prohibit untreated sewage from entering our aquatic bodies and causing pollution.He instructed the H&UDD to make sure that the waste gathered by local organisations is separated at the source in order to carry out the best possible recycling. He argued that the general public needs to be made fully aware of the need to properly sort waste and give it to the appropriate collection services. Additionally, he requested that the department increase its ability to treat such trash in a proper, scientific manner. Dr. Mehta noted that the disposal locations had to be made appealing and odor-free. He also emphasised the necessity of providing incentives for its establishment among the residents so that they do not experience any resistance. He encouraged them to recognise the locations from the sections of government property that were recently taken by the Revenue Department.Additionally, he implied that no water body in J&K should be contaminated. These corpses, he said, are our priceless resources and ought to be preserved for the future. He requested that septic tanks at the very least be required for residents who live close to rivers, lakes, canals, etc. to treat sewage. In addition, he requested the construction of oxidation ponds alongside sewerage projects in all congested locations, particularly in Srinagar and Jammu, where residents lack the resources to build their own septic tanks, to prevent the discharge of untreated waste into the environment. In order to learn from their experiences, the Chief Secretary also suggested that they travel to Municipal Corporations in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Indore, and Ahmedabad. He instructed them to research all of the effective models there and use the best ones in the UT. He urged them to make sure that the NGT’s instructions for protecting the environment are adequately carried out.
