SRINAGAR: Urban areas in Jammu and Kashmir collectively generate over 1,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, with Srinagar emerging as the largest waste producer at 525 tonnes per day (TPD). This is followed by Jammu at 374 TPD, Anantnag at 66.18 TPD, and the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) in Srinagar at 55 TPD. The data places Udhampur in fifth position with 50.81 TPD, while the lowest waste generation is reported from Kalakote and Thannamandi, both producing just 0.95 TPD.
The complete ranking based on waste generation, accessed from official sources, is as follows:
Srinagar (525 TPD) ranks first and has a functional Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
Jammu (374 TPD) comes second, also with an operational MRF.
Anantnag is third with 66.18 TPD, but without an MRF.
LCMA in Srinagar stands fourth at 55 TPD, also without an MRF.
Udhampur ranks fifth with 50.81 TPD and has an MRF in place.
Hiranagar is sixth with 38.14 TPD and also has a functional MRF.
Shopian generates 24.63 TPD, ranking seventh, though no MRF exists there.
Arnia follows with 24.14 TPD and has a working MRF.
Baramulla stands at 23.41 TPD but lacks an MRF.
Batote produces 16.89 TPD and has its MRF functional.
Bandipora generates 14.95 TPD, though it does not yet have an MRF.
Ganderbal, with 11.38 TPD, does have a functioning MRF.
Poonch follows at 10.83 TPD, although no MRF is reported there.
Seer-Hamdan generates 6.60 TPD and has an MRF.
Vijaypur and Ghoumanhasan produce 6.23 TPD and 6.13 TPD, respectively, both having operational MRFs.
Chenani reports 5.99 TPD without an MRF, while Kishtwar matches that with a working MRF.
Handwara produces 5.48 TPD, followed by Hajin at 5.34 TPD—neither has an MRF yet.
Samba stands at 5.12 TPD and has a functioning MRF.
Awantipora reports 5.10 TPD but lacks an MRF.
Wattergam (4.89 TPD), Charar-i-Sharief (4.65 TPD), and Doda (4.47 TPD) follow, with Doda having an operational MRF.
R.S. Pura is next at 4.32 TPD, though without an MRF.
Sunderbani, with 4.20 TPD, has a functioning MRF.
Khrew and Qazigund report 3.97 and 3.98 TPD, respectively, with only Qazigund having an MRF.
Devsar (3.94 TPD), Pahalgam (3.74 TPD), and Mattan (3.73 TPD) follow.
Bishnah and Katra generate 3.61 and 3.63 TP,D respectively, with only Katra having an MRF.
Lakhanpur reports 3.10 TPD, while Parole stands at 3.34 TPD.
Beerwah (3.30 TPD) has an operational MRF, unlike Langate (2.66 TPD), which does not.
Kokerag and Ashmugam both generate 2.64 TPD without MRFs.
Chadoora (2.61 TPD) and Achabal (2.56 TPD) follow; both have MRFs.
Ramnagar and Kathua generate 2.53 TPD and 2.01 TPD, respectively, both with MRFs.
Surankote produces 2.72 TPD and has an MRF, while Jourian (2.79 TPD) and Uri (2.83 TPD) follow, with only Jourian having an MRF.
Ramgarh generates 2.26 TPD, and Billawar 2.19 TPD, both without MRFs.
Magam and Nowshera are tied at 2.21 TPD, and both are without MRFs.
Frisal (2.07 TPD) and Kathua (2.01 TPD) report low generation, with only Kathua having an MRF.
Basholi is not listed for waste data.
Kunzer & Tangmarg generate 1.55 TPD and have an MRF, while Banihal produces 1.74 TPD and also has one.
Khour and Akhnoor both produce 1.59 TPD, but only Akhnoor has an MRF.
Ramban generates 1.45 TPD without an MRF, while Kalakote and Thannamandi each report the lowest at 0.95 TPD, with only Thannamandi having a functioning MRF.
Bhaderwah is the second-lowest waste producer at 0.60 TPD and lacks an MRF.
In total, the 78 ULBs in Jammu and Kashmir generate 1,502.14 tonnes of solid waste every day, highlighting the scale of the challenge for sustainable waste management. While some towns have made progress in operationalising MRFs, a large number still remain without these basic processing units. The government said it has taken steps to bridge this gap, but further infrastructure expansion remains crucial.
