SRINAGAR: Three Solid Waste Management Plants of 4 TPD each have been approved for the twin towns of Dooru and Verinag, while one plant is already operational in Verinag, processing dry waste at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and wet waste through pit composting, Minister for Social Welfare Sakeena Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly today.
Responding on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to a question by G A Mir, Itoo said that the Municipal Committee of Dooru-Verinag has been implementing waste segregation at the source by distributing twin household dustbins and installing twin bins in commercial areas. To aid waste collection, eight hoppers, 25 tri-cycles, and a truck-laden sucker have been procured, with further plans to acquire a weight bridge, baling machine, and shredder.
She added that under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U), scientific processing of municipal solid waste is underway in small and medium towns across Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 78 Solid Waste Management Centres (WMCs)/MRFs, along with compost pits, have been approved, with construction completed at 33 WMCs/MRFs and 30 compost pits, while work continues on 19 more WMCs and 22 compost pits.
Itoo also highlighted that bio-remediation of 3.88 lakh MT of legacy waste has been completed at various dumping sites, including Bhagwati Nagar, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Tral, and Anantnag. Contracts have been awarded for further bio-remediation of 6.16 lakh MT of legacy waste at Kot Bhalwal, 2.98 lakh MT by DULBK, and 1.20 lakh MT in seven urban local bodies under DULBJ, with tenders floated for 11 lakh MT at Achan, Srinagar.
On housing, she stated that PMAY-Urban 2.0, launched in September 2024, is addressing the housing needs of economically weaker sections and middle-income groups. In Dooru and Verinag, Rs 907.68 lakh has been disbursed since 2018 for housing construction, with 505 houses completed out of 747 sanctioned and 161 under construction.
Itoo reiterated the government’s commitment to improving waste management through citizen participation, infrastructure upgrades, and innovative processing solutions.
