The absence of a solid waste plant in Baramulla town is directly impacting the health of the Jhelum here with tons of garbage and waste including human excreta daily finding its way into it.
According to officials of PHE department Baramulla, more than six million gallons of water from the Jhelum are supplied to the town daily for drinking purposes.
“The negligence on the part of the district administration and the municipal council Baramulla can be gauged from the fact that a huge chunk of land at Jetty Khawjabagh which is just two hundred yards away from the river bank has been converted into a garbage dump,” the locals said.
“However, there has been no headway till date with the result the pollution of river has reached to an alarming level,” they said.
Another factor responsible for polluting the river is the animal and biomedical waste generated from some shops in the town, the locals said.
“Every evening you can see some shopkeepers throwing chicken waste into the river. Also if you happen to take a walk along the banks you’ll find scores of syringes and other medical wastes scattered around the banks of the river,” Imtiyaz Ahmad, a local businessman said.