Ganderbal, Feb 13: The Rural Development Department (RDD) has resumed garbage collection services in Tehsil Gund of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after a year-long halt, bringing relief to the local population.
For over a year, the garbage collection vehicles had disappeared from the area due to unknown reasons, forcing residents to dump waste on the roadside and along the banks of the Sindh River. The lack of waste disposal services had led to severe environmental and hygiene related concerns.
Sources revealed that the garbage collection initiative was launched last year in Ganderbal district, with vehicles contracted to collect waste from households, hotels, and shopkeepers. However, the system collapsed as many residents failed to pay the service charges, leading contractors to pull out, citing financial losses.
“The initiative was beneficial, but since there were charges, many people could not afford to pay. As a result, the contractors stopped sending vehicles to villages,” a source said.
Locals acknowledged the importance of the service and urged everyone to contribute to ensure its sustainability. “If we dump garbage in rivers and on roads, it will directly harm the environment. It is better to pay a small fee for waste collection rather than let pollution affect our surroundings,” said a resident.
With the service now resumed, garbage collected from different areas will be taken to segregation sheds for proper disposal.
Block Development Officer (BDO) Gund, Nazir Ahmad, confirmed to Rising Kashmir that the garbage collection vehicles are back in operation.
“Everyone must take responsibility and use these vehicles to dispose of waste properly. This initiative has been restarted for the betterment of society and the environment,” he said. The RDD has urged residents to use the designated vehicles instead of dumping waste on roads, footpaths, rivers, and streams to protect the region’s ecology.
