Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jun 3: With the huge influx of tourists in Kashmir, authorities on Monday said that it was not producing ‘unusual solid or liquid waste’ from almost all major tourist destinations here.
Several Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and other officials to know the status of management of solid and other waste being generated at the top tourist destinations.
CEO Gulmarg Development Authority, Raja Waseem said that the ski resort was witnessing a huge influx of tourists.
Besides, the executive officer further said that the tourist destination has not witnessed any unusual or significant increase in solid waste generation.
“We are disposing of all the waste immediately that is being collected from the Gulmarg ski resort. Even though we are witnessing a huge influx of tourists, I don’t think that the area is generating any unusual amount of waste,” he said.
The CEO further said that the authorities were preparing a DPR for solid and liquid waste management. “We have submitted the proposal and hopefully, the other waste management issues will be addressed soon.”
Regarding the estimated cost, the CEO added that STP waste management costs around Rs 45 crores. “For solid and liquid waste management, we have both civil and mechanical components. The civil component has an estimate of Rs 5 crores, while the mechanical part has not been estimated yet.”
He added that it frequently issues guidelines to locals as well as tourists not to litter garbage in and around the ski resort.
“Additionally, we request the tour and travel operators to issue guidelines to tourists for not littering the waste in Gulmarg or any other destination,” he said.
Meanwhile, an official from Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) said that the municipality has been frequently clearing all the waste items.
The official further said that PDA already had a solid treatment plant there.
He said that outside the municipality, RDD has been taking care of the cleanliness and proper disposal of waste.
In the meantime, CEO Yousmarg Bilal Khursheed said that the tourist destination was generating a very limited amount of waste. “A very little waste is being generated from the Yousmarg area.”
“Whatever waste is being generated from Yousmarg tourist destination is being sent for treatment to the waste management plant in Yousmarg Nagbal,” he said.
Khursheed added, “I don’t think that this place is generating any unusual amount of waste or pollution.”
