Anantnag, Aug 10: Garbage has piled up in villages around Anantnag town after the Rural Development Department (RDD) stopped waste collection more than two months ago.
Rani Road, Panditpora, Chee and Dialgam, all under RDD Anantnag Block, are among the worst affected. Plastic, polythene and household waste are scattered along roadsides, vacant spaces and water channels.
In Chee, an RDD-built waste shed near the Lidder river lies unused. Garbage has accumulated around it and along the riverbank.
“We used to pay Rs 50 a month and garbage was collected twice a week. The area stayed clean. Now garbage is lying everywhere,” said Riyaz Ahmad, 60 a resident of Rani Road.
The waste has choked nearby water channels, while the piles give off a foul smell and attract stray dogs.
“There is every likelihood of diseases. The nearby water channels have also been choked,” Ahmad said.
In Panditpora, Muhammad Usman, 52 said residents had been left without regular waste collection.
“On one hand, the government talks about the Swachh Bharat Mission. On the other, nothing is being done to keep rural areas clean,” he said.
In Chee, residents said the waste was also polluting the Lidder.
“Garbage, plastic and polythene are lying all over the place. It is polluting the river,” said Javaid Dar, 48 a resident.
Residents fear flooding during rains as blocked channels could restrict the flow of water.
Officials said several RDD collection vans remain idle because there is no designated site to unload the waste.
“The earlier dumping site at Donipawa was stopped after complaints from residents” they said.
Residents have sought restoration of collection services and a permanent facility for waste disposal and processing.
