Jammu and Kashmir’s Circular Economy Policy is ambitious and timely, but success depends entirely on implementation, accountability and institutional coordination.
Jammu and Kashmir has finally begun looking at waste not merely as a sanitation problem but as an economic resource. The proposed Circular Economy Policy 2026 marks a significant departure from the traditional “collect-and-dump” approach, seeking instead to recover value from every stream of waste, from household garbage and horticultural residue to construction debris, wastewater and electronic waste. If implemented effectively, it could transform one of the Union Territory’s biggest environmental liabilities into an engine for green growth.
The numbers alone justify the urgency. More than 1,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated every day, alongside millions of litres of untreated wastewater and thousands of tonnes of electronic and construction waste annually. Much of it still ends up in landfills, water bodies or illegal dumping sites despite containing recyclable materials and recoverable resources worth crores of rupees. Waste segregation remains incomplete, recycling infrastructure is inadequate and almost every valuable waste stream continues to leak out of the economy.
The policy deserves credit for acknowledging these shortcomings instead of masking them. It sets measurable targets, proposes institutional reforms and seeks convergence between multiple departments. Particularly welcome is its emphasis on integrating informal waste workers, encouraging local recycling industries, promoting composting and creating green livelihoods. The revised draft also strengthens governance through a dedicated mission structure, regional clusters and phased implementation, making it more practical than its predecessor.
Yet policies are judged less by their ambition than by their execution. Jammu and Kashmir has no shortage of well-written policy documents whose objectives have faded under weak coordination, fragmented accountability and inadequate follow-up. Waste management, perhaps more than any other sector, requires seamless cooperation between urban local bodies, pollution regulators, line departments, private operators and local communities. Unless one institution is clearly empowered to lead and held accountable for outcomes, overlapping responsibilities could once again dilute implementation.
Financing, too, remains a critical test. Although the policy identifies multiple funding sources and presents realistic investment scenarios, infrastructure alone will not deliver a circular economy. Markets must exist for recycled products. Citizens must segregate waste consistently. Local bodies must enforce regulations uniformly. Technology platforms will matter only if they improve transparency rather than simply generating more data.
The policy rightly recognises that waste is not merely something to be disposed of but a resource waiting to be recovered. That shift in thinking is its greatest strength. However, the distance between aspiration and achievement will be measured not in tonnes of waste generated, but in tonnes actually recycled, reused and converted into economic value. Jammu and Kashmir does not need another visionary document. It needs a functioning circular economy that turns today’s waste into tomorrow’s wealth.
