SRINAGAR, INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR – Garbage disposal has long been inefficient in Kashmir. Local people who throw the trash from their homes out on the streets remain the biggest culprits contributing to increased pests and health risks here. While municipality workers strive to collect street garbage and take it to dumping sites, landfills here remain poorly maintained.
Besides being an unpleasant sight, heaps of trash along roadsides, in streams, and even near schools and government buildings pose significant health risks. Trash piles have become breeding grounds for disease vectors, such as flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, rats and other pests. Animal advocates say street trash is also contributing to the rise in stray dogs on the streets of Srinagar.
Environmental advocates have also begun to stress the need for segregation in processing the waste. Both biodegradable and nonbiodegradable materials end up in landfills, as recycling of paper, bottles and cans remains rare.
