With civic bodies almost defunct, locals of Jammu and Kahmir burn garbage

Desperate situations call for desperate measures! Adopting this adage, people of flood-hit Kashmir have started burning heaps of garbage gathered in many parts of the valley as civic bodies have become almost defunct over the past two weeks.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), which looks after the sanitation of Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, and other civic bodies could not collect and dispose waste material generated from households and hotels not affected by floods that hit the valley early this month. As pungent smell started emanating from the garbage lying on the roads, locals began setting it on fire to prevent outbreak of diseases.

"We do not know how long it will take the government and other concerned agencies to start getting into action. There is a strong possibility of epidemic outbreak even in areas not affected by floods due to accumulation of the garbage," Bashir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Baghat, told PTI.

Similar efforts are underway in Rawalpora, Rangreth and Hyderpora areas on the outskirts of the city.

"We appeal to people not to throw garbage in the open. They should either bury it or burn it. Otherwise, there is a serious health risk involved," Dr Sajad Ahmad said.

The SMC headquarter still has several feet of water logged in its compound and it will take a long time for the Corporation to resume garbage collection.

Most of the garbage collection vehicles have been submerged for a week and will need repairs before being used again.

The SMC authorities will also have to wait for water to go back to ground level as most of the garbage dumping grounds are located in low-lying areas of the city.