Govt rejected land swap offer from private party over a decade ago
While protests over dumping of garbage at Achen have again snowballed into a controversy between the residents and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the successive governments turned down the land swap offer from the private partners.
We learnt landfill site wasn’t in use few years and there wasn’t any major problem. The city has city now turned into hostage over garbage disposal.
Officials told the newspaper the major controversy erupted only in 2007, when a convoy of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) trucks ferrying garbage came under attack near Saida Pora, while some of the wounded drivers had received serious injuries. Since then, the protests over garbage dumping have been an annual concern in the city. And, after the three-year lull since 2013, the situation seems to be suddenly worsening this year.
Given the unhygienic condition at the commencement of the tourist season, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) has expressed serious concern over the issue asking Governor NN Vohra to personally look into the matter.
The Genesis
The SMC has been using the Achen facility spanning over 600 kanals of land, since 1984, when government started dumping of waste at the landfill site. Officials said annually around one lakh metric tons of garbage would be dumped at the site.
Interestingly, there used to be no scientific disposal of waste, and all trash would be crudely dumped at Achen. But for over two decades things went on smoothly. “This means over two million metric tons of garbage were disposed off in a hassle free manner,” recapped a retired bureaucrat, who was then associated with the SMC.
But official sources said the violent protests were first reported in 2007 when the convoy of SMC trucks was attacked, prompting the civic body employees to go on strike that year.
Land Swap Offer
Call it fate or coincidence, a year ahead of the violence, a private party owing over 600 kanals of land in the rear of the landfill site had approached the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD), with offer to swap the twin-lands.
For the private party, the land procurement had come as no less than a windfall. “Given the presence of garbage dumping yard in the vicinity, which would normally make it unattractive site for any real estate investment, the family had procured some 600 kanals of land for peanuts,” recapped the official in know of the matter adding “the group planned to construct a satellite township at the site.”
But as the road approach to the site snaked along the landfill site, the project was found unviable to attract potential customers.
“Subsequently, they (private party) approached the government, seeking a land swap,” the official said adding “The family wanted to swap their low lying land with the 500 odd kanal garbage yard, which had grown into a raised ground.”
In the representation, the private pleaded before the government that the land swap would be more beneficial for waste management.
“The landfill site is getting filled and that the adjacent low lying land if swapped will serve the future dumping requirements of the corporation,” the business group had pleaded.
Official documents reveal that the Housing Department had sought expert opinion from the State Pollution Control Board(SPCB). “But the proposal was turned down as the scientific disposal of waste was on cards, by virtue of which the landfill site can serve for another 50 years,” confirmed an official of SPCB, asking not be identified.
The Other Nexus
But this private party was not alone to make investments. Official sources said given the exceptionally low price of land in the area, and inputs that development of satellite-township was on cards, some politicians and other influential people also jumped in for real estate investments.
Revenue officials believe that that land deals were inked at throwaway price of mere around Rs 20,000 per kanal. As of now the real estate prices in the neighborhood areas like Wangan Pora, Eidgah and Seki Dafar have soared to over Rs 50,00,000 per kanal of land.
‘Land & Mafia ’ TAG
While the inhabitants of Achen have their own concerns over the unhygienic living conditions, government has been saying that the “land mafia” worsens the problem through violence, which can prove deadly.
This year, the problem seems to have worsened as the SMC has given up the scientific disposal of waste. The instant soiling of the dumped waste and working of lecheate treatment plant, as per the SMC Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Khan, is affected. The resumption of requisite scientific disposal of waste may take time.
Amid threats of violence, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon and the Inspector General of Police SJM Geelani have been constantly monitoring the situation in the stinking city.
Even as the SMC today claimed to have resumed garbage lifting, the KCCI is concerned. “Tourist season has arrived and Srinagar looks nauseatingly messy. It seems to be some deep rooted conspiracy and Raj Bhawan must look into the matter before it snowballs into a festering crisis,” the KCCI President Mushtaq Ahmed Wani said adding “we want Srinagar to clean.” But then, who resorts to violence and why? And, who is the “land-mafia”?
