Srinagar's Garbage Mountain: A Stench in Paradise

Srinagar, a city renowned for its picturesque lakes and gardens, confronts a significant civic challenge at its Achan waste management facility. A towering mountain of accumulated garbage, now estimated at 1.1 million metric tonnes, dominates the landscape. This legacy waste, dumped over decades, poses a severe environmental and public health concern for residents in the surrounding areas.

The Achan landfill, established in 1986, was initially situated in a sparsely populated region. However, urban expansion led residential colonies to grow around the site, exposing thousands to foul odors, disease-carrying flies, and stray animals. Leachate from the landfill has also contaminated local groundwater and water bodies, impacting agricultural lands.

To address this crisis, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has embarked on a comprehensive waste management plan, approved in May 2026 under the Swachh Bharat Mission. This initiative, backed by a Rs 361-crore proposal, aims to clear the legacy waste by 2028 through advanced biomining and bioremediation techniques.

Approximately 1,000 tonnes of legacy waste are processed daily, with recyclable materials segregated and refuse-derived fuel produced for cement factories. The SMC is also developing an integrated waste management system, establishing a construction and demolition waste processing facility, and planning an eco-park with extensive tree plantation around the site.

While the SMC assures transformation of the landfill into an eco-park, residents remain skeptical due to the persistent odor and health issues. The corporation is implementing measures such as spraying anti-odour chemicals, planting trees, and operating a leachate treatment plant to mitigate immediate problems and improve living conditions.