Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Nov 5: The proposed solid waste and sewage treatment project at Gupt Ganga–Foreshore Road, Nishat, is facing strong opposition from residents, with Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, terming it “an ecological blunder that threatens Dal Lake’s survival and public health”.
The Grand Mufti said that converting the Gupt Ganga wetland, an important ecological buffer for Dal Lake, into a waste processing and sewage site would have grave and irreversible environmental, health and social consequences.
“The project is ecologically disastrous and socially unacceptable,” he said. “Destroying this natural wetland for a large-scale waste facility not only undermines decades of conservation efforts but also violates the very principles of environmental protection the administration claims to uphold.”
Mufti Nasir revealed that a delegation of locals from Gupt Ganga and nearby areas met him recently, expressing anger and distress over the proposed site. “The people told me clearly that if the project is not stopped immediately, they will be forced to launch peaceful but massive protests. Their concerns are genuine and must not be ignored,” he said.
He warned that the project would lead to persistent odour, rodent infestation, groundwater contamination and property devaluation, making the entire neighbourhood unlivable.
Meanwhile, the residents of Gupt Ganga–Foreshore Road Nishat and adjoining areas have submitted a detailed memorandum, urging the Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor to immediately halt the plan and order a full Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) before any construction begins.
They said the proposed 30–45 MLD STP and waste-cum-fertilizer unit falls in an ecologically fragile area categorised as “Gardens and Parks Zone” under the 2035 Srinagar Master Plan and is just 370 metres from the fringe of Dal Lake.”
The proximity of the project to public and sensitive sites is alarming, with the residential area just 95 metres away, Government High School 300 metres away, hotels/showrooms 300 metres away, mosques within 350 metres, Meerakshah Nallah (connecting Dal Lake) 150 metres, Shamshan Ghat 400 metres and the BSF Camp only 110 metres away,” the memorandum states.
The residents said such closeness to residential and religious spaces violates environmental and public health norms. “We are not against development, but this project will destroy a living wetland that safeguards Dal Lake. It will cause odour, pollution, and constant dumping-truck movement, ruining tourism and daily life,” said Nazir Ahmad, one of the residents.
