Pollution in Kashmir

There can never be a short discussion about resolving the garbage pollution in Kashmir. Right from our method of handling household refuse to the pollution in our lakes. In between the pollution caused by brick-kilns and air pollution caused by vehicular exhaust. Lets hope we brainstorm possible solutions.

First post about pollution!!

Kashmir is polluted and filthy

What can be done about the pollution levels in Kashmir?

There is no shortage of ideas in Kashmir about how to improve our civic amenities and it would seem that almost everyone, including your's truly, keep coming up with innovative solutions to the countless problems we face here. Although these solutions, seeing that they are conceived in a person's head, unfortunately remain safe and secure in the person's head - seemingly forever, because there is no such thing as a public discourse in Kashmir and all rules and regulations about a particular issue are always thrust upon the public without any such thing as getting feedback from them. But I would be forgiven for mentioning that on the whole, when it comes to improving our civic amenities, it appears we are more talk and little action.

Let me summarize the few problems we as Kashmiris commonly face today and see if my conclusions about these problems is accurate enough. For starters let me talk about our method of garbage disposal.

There is not a single more pressing issue in Kashmir that would make us appear as backward and an unhygienic people than the way we handle our garbage. We pride ourselves on Kashmir being considered as a prime tourist spot. We feel elated when our little land-locked valley is referred to as the 'Switzerland of the east'. We always wish that hundreds of thousands tourists would visit our valley to boost our economy. I am sure, with improved security, millions of tourists would oblige our invitation and visit our 'Paradise on Earth'; but for what? Just so they are inundated with the sight of heaps of stinking rotting garbage with hundreds of stray dogs feasting over them?

A simple analogy would be that you are inviting all your neighbous to come over to your house, and the neighbours are all excited and are expecting a neat and tidy house, seeing that you have gone out of your way to invite them, but how odd it would seem if your house is filthy and stinking? I hope you get my point.

For one thing, I cannot understand why the municipality is unable to collect garbage outside each home in garbage bags like the rest of the civilized world does? Why does it encourage the habit of people making heaps of garbage where the municipality finally picks it up then. If someone knows the answer to these, then please enlighten me and others who read this.