PULWAMA (Jammu & Kashmir): Fayaz Ahmad from Wachi remembers when Ranbi Ara (also spelt as Rambi Ara) was vibrant, supporting both aquatic life and community needs.
"During September and October, my friends and I would fish from dawn to dusk, coming home with our catch. Our families celebrated every meal together," he says, gazes into the stream nostalgically and woefully adds, "Now the water smells foul. The fish are gone. Everything is dead."
Nazir Ahmad from Litter village also sees the human cost of the deteriorating water condition.
"People in our village are dying from the contaminated water. Our grandfathers cleaned these streams with their bare hands, kept them pure," he says. He pauses, shaking his head. "Now we're the ones killing them. We throw our garbage in and wonder why our children get sick."
“In our block, several people have fallen ill due to waterborne diseases,” he adds.
Dozens of villages including Aglar, Wachi, Litter, Rakh, Nyayuna, Sangam, Nilora, Achan and Hiadarpora were dependent on the stream for drinking and domestic use, the villagers reveal. However, due to increasing pollution levels, the water is now used only for irrigation purposes.
Pollution & Diseases
“We stopped using the water of Ranbi Ara after an industrial estate was developed two decades ago by Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) was established here,” says Riyaz Ahmed of Aglar.
“Ever since, the stream is being polluted by the discharge of both industrial and human waste,” he adds, raising concerns about threats of serious waterborne diseases.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has been under criticism from the locals for setting up the Lassipora Industrial Estate on the banks of the main water body without adhering to environment norms. They say that the estate lacks a scientific waste disposal system.
Environmental experts and residents alike are calling for immediate intervention to save Ranbi Ara, once a lifeline of the villages and towns around it, from further degradation and to prevent the outbreak of a serious health crisis in the region.
“Development cannot come at the cost of the environment. We are living in an era where, knowingly and unknowingly, we are heading towards our own extinction”, says an environmentalist from Pulwama Dr Aneesul Haq.
Dr Anees further adds that while machines have made our lives easier and we continue to enjoy the privileges of science and technology, “we must remain sensitive towards the environment, as it is the fundamental force behind our survival.”
Lassipora Industrial Estate was established in 2005, and since then, new industrial units have been set up almost every year.
Among the functioning units are pharmaceutical companies, food processing facilities, plastic manufacturers, cold storage units, and producers of various daily use products.
However, two decades since it was set up, there is a complete lack of a solid waste management system. Both human and industrial waste are indiscriminately discharged into a nearby canal known as Ranbi Ara – a stream that serves as the primary source of drinking water for several downstream villages.
Dumped into the Stream
The Lassipora Industrial Estate spans 7000 kanals of land and houses around 850 industrial units, of which only 450 are officially registered.
“Each month, approximately 20 tonnes of waste is generated here, which can be estimated as 240 tonnes annually, and all of it both industrial and domestic is dumped into the nearby Ranbi Ara canal,” says Mukhtar Ahmad, President of the Industrial Unit Holders Association, Lassipora Pulwama.
He points to the layers and layers of heaps piled up - rotten apples, cement, packaging material and other non-biodegradable material mingling with toxic effluents – all recklessly thrown and gradually slipping into the waters of the stream.
“Last year, the issue gained international attention when rotten apples were dumped into the canal, prompting Pakistan to accuse India of polluting trans boundary water bodies that serve as a major source of drinking water and irrigation,” he adds.
“We approached Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and submitted a memorandum requesting the identification of land to establish a solid waste management plant. But nothing has materialised. Even though the Managing Director of SIDCO (Small Industries Development Corporation) visited the site, no tangible progress has been made,” Ahmad says.
Talking to the Kashmir Times, Manmeet Singh, Publicity Secretary of Industrial Growth Centre (IGC), Lassipora Pulwama, stated. “It is not our responsibility to manage the disposal of waste. We were never asked to sign any declaration on behalf of the 20,000 people working here.”
“Waste management is the duty of the SIDCO. Each unit holder pays an annual maintenance fee of 5000 rupees, yet we have no clarity on how those funds are being utilized. We have now decided to formally demand an audit to understand why this fee is not being used to establish a proper waste management plant,” he added.
Singh further added, “With 20,000 people working here, the generation of waste is inevitable. Unfortunately, it is the unit holders who are bearing the brunt of mismanagement. We have raised this issue multiple times, but no concrete action has been taken so far.”
Explaining the environmental aspects of the Industrial Estate, Dr Anees said, “Whenever industrial units are granted permission to operate, they are required to sign an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) declaration, committing to manage waste at the source using scientific methods and ensuring that it does not negatively impact the surrounding areas.”
But he adds, these declarations are often taken for granted and not properly enforced.
Giving more elaborate details, Dr Anees maintains that industrial units are categorized based on the type of waste they generate.
“Some units produce biodegradable waste, which can be converted into compost and later used in agriculture or horticulture. Others generate waste like copper, plastic, aluminium and other metal that can be recycled. But for this to be effective, segregation at the source is essential. A proper waste segregation facility must be in place to prevent hazardous impacts on adjacent areas,” he adds.
Environment Laws Flouted
The problem, he concludes, is that there appears to be a weak enforcement of environmental laws. “Law enforcement agencies are not carrying out proper inspections to ensure compliance with environmental guidelines,” he points out.
Talking about a way forward, Dr Anees bats for a balanced approach. “Development is good, but it should be sustainable development that protects our environment. Manufacturing units must adopt eco-friendly practices and stop dumping hazardous waste that destroys our ecosystem," he recommends.
Talking to the Kashmir Times General Manager of SIDCO, Shabir Ahmad, admitted the violation of environmental norms and the polluting streams but is quick to add that a plan is on the anvil.
Giving details, he said, “We have already proposed the project to the administration and have formally requested the Industries and Commerce Department to allocate land. We have also written to the Directorate to release the necessary funds and have submitted a detailed project report (DPR).”
“A site has been identified at Trenz, a nearby village in Shopian, where we plan to establish a solid waste management plant as well as estate,” he added.
About monitoring and enforcement, the officer said that the Pollution Control Board and SIDCO are jointly addressing the issue with unit holders. We are committed to strengthening these efforts in the future to ensure better compliance and environmental protection.
Have you liked the news article?