Suhail Bhat
Pahalgam, Apr 1: Kashmir’s famed tourist destination Pahalgam stinks as the organisational tussle between Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) and Municipal Committee (MC) Pahalgam over the waste management and its disposal enters into second year.
No one is reportedly taking proper care of litter, majority of washrooms are defunct and not usable. Out of 13 public washrooms within the Pahalgam Municipal area limit eight are completely defunct and locked. Five washrooms, which are available, are in complete shambles, floorings are broken, leakages are evident everywhere and despite having lots of fresh water springs there is no water available.
Neha, a tourist from Delhi said: “Who would want to visit a place where you have no toilet? It’s pathetic that we could not find a public toilet easily in Pahalgam and when we found one it was so stinky that one feels like vomiting. My daughter even refused to enter into it. Thank God there were hotels and restaurants around and we used their services.”
A local social activist said the PDA and Municipal Committee were clearly denting the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by not taking care of Pahalgam waste. “Despite being a world famous tourist destination, Pahalgam faces a severe shortage of public toilets and there is an urgent and pressing need for both making the existing toilets functional and for building more toilets, so that tourists do not have to face unnecessary inconvenience and the already fragile and sensitive ecosystem of the region is not threatened further,” he said.
The activist said it is extremely unfortunate that while these departments make high claims of development on one hand and celebrated the ‘Swachh Bharat Week’ with much pomp and show just a few days back, on the other hand, a problem as basic yet with such grave implications is being neglected.
Secretary Municipal Committee Pahalgam, Nazir Ahmad, admitted the dearth of public washrooms and said that last year court has issued orders, saying that all the functions in the Pahalgam should be carried out under the supervision and directions of PDA only and Municipality has been left with almost no powers.
“PDA has no funds. We have no grants under State and district plan. At present there is no proper management and unpredictability has gripped the departments,” he said, adding “Now everything will be sorted out within a few days. We have sent proposal to the Director and the Divisional Commissioner and are hopeful that we will work as we were earlier.”
However, PDA chief, Riyaz Ahmad said he doesn’t know about the issue. “There are no issues between the department and we are working together to keep Pahalgam clean,” he said.
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