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Raja Muzaffar Bhat, in his report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 16, 2025, has refuted the claims made by the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) on steps taken to manage waste dumped on the banks of the Poonch river.
The matter related to rampant and illegal disposal of solid and bio-medical waste on the banks of the river, in the area falling between Sher-E-Kashmir Bridge and the confluence of Poonch river and Belar nala in Poonch town, Jammu & Kashmir. The Poonch is a tributary of the Jhelum and towns such as Poonch, Sehra, Tatta Pani, Kotli and Mirpur are situated on its banks. The Poonch is also a source of drinking water for the population living downstream.
The JKPCC submitted a report dated December 21, 2024, providing the on-ground status with respect to solid waste disposal in Poonch district and the status of imposition and payment of environmental compensation for such violations.
The applicant responded to the points raised in the report.
The main contention was that the applicant was not able to locate the processing facilities as have been claimed to be set up in Surankote and Poonch. When the applicant visited the site in question, it was found that a red shed has been installed on the banks of the Poonch, but it cannot be considered as a waste processing facility. “Any such kind of facility would be in violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 as it is located at the banks of a river,” the applicant pointed out.
Further, the applicant found that fresh waste was being dumped on the riverbank. When the applicant visited the site, he found that rather than lifting the legacy waste, fresh waste is being dumped by the municipal council and that the “situation on ground is the same and waste is continuously flowing into the Poonch”. The applicant has taken videographic evidence to show how continuous dumping of waste at the site has led to huge volume of waste flowing into the Poonch.
The applicant also refuted the claim made by the JKPCC that out of 15,000 MT of waste, 5,000 MT has already been cleared, and the rest will be cleared by January 2025. Further, the claim that the entire waste will be cleared by January 2025 is incorrect.
The Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) of Rs 109 crore with the aim to strengthen the sewerage system in Nainital city, stated the document filed by the Kumaon Commissioner, Nainital on April 16, 2025 before the NGT.
The DPR was prepared after conducting a comprehensive assessment of works like replacement of old sewer lines, sewer manhole chambers, under-sized sewer pipelines laid for 30-40 years in Nainital city and connecting residential buildings in the city to sewer lines.
At present, under the Nainital Urban Sewerage Scheme, a 600-metre sewer line needs to be replaced as the 150- and 200-mm diameter sewer lines are very old and dilapidated in many areas. Apart from this, construction of 37 old and damaged sewer manhole chambers, repair of 83 old sewer manholes and raising of covered sewer manhole chambers to the road level in different city areas, a 5.80 km sewer line of 150 to 300 mm diameter and silt cleaning of 380 city sewer manhole chambers are to be done instantaneously.
The Government of Uttarakhand has sanctioned Rs 73.66 lakh for carrying out the requisite task. An amount of Rs 44.196 lakh has already been released as the first installment.
The matter related to contamination of Naini lake from the side of Naina temple. The Nainital Urban Sewerage Scheme under Nainital district is under Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Nainital.