Tsewang Dolma
Ladakh’s most celebrated town, Leh draws multitudes of visitors from across the country and world, eager to experience its inimitable culture; its breathtaking mountainous landscape and the feel of nature in its true splendor. Yet not many know about Bomb Guard near DiskitTsal where garbage from Leh is dumped.
Undeniably, the tourist boom has brought in revenues, created employment. It has also strained the region’s scarce natural resources. Consumption patterns have changed and this is most apparent in the deluge of packaged foods.According to Mr. Alex, Future Earth, a staggering 30,000 plastic water bottles are dumped in Leh every day!
In August 2015, the Municipal Committee of Leh (MCL) inaugurated an initiative for cleaning up the town -undertaken under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). Two dustbins were to be provided at the community level- one blue for solid wastes and the green one for kitchen or bio-degradable wastes. Thismessage stressed upon by the Administrator, MCL Dr. Zahida Banoat the Inaugural -was supposed to go out widely.
A gap between the intent and its uptake however has been evident. AminaBano, 60, living in Sheynam uses only one bin for dry waste. ” I find the bin too big for kitchen waste that tends to rot and stink”, she saysJigmetWangdus, 40, from Tukcha says. ‘There is no logic in sorting the garbage at source because ultimately it all gets dumped together at Bomb Guard.” He only uses one bin for dry waste; in the other, he stores wood and dung-both precious fuelfor winter. But he believes there is a need to create awareness on waste management-the processes of segregation, recycling and composting.
Meanwhile garbage, notably plastic waste continues to inundate Leh and is being dumped at Bomb Guard indiscriminately. Residents are beginning to get worried.
” Mounting garbage in Leh can undo the good that tourism brings.Who knows in the future, we could lose business because of this.” says PhuntsogAngmo, 44, Khakshal, visibly anxious.
Hopefully things will not be as grim as Angmo’sforecast but the problem needs urgent attention. Ruksana Parveen, Inspector, MCL believes that multiple stakeholders need to be involved in garbage management. Even so, the role and responsibility of civic authorities remains paramount. The Ladakh Hill Development Council (LAHDC) -the region’s highest policy-making and executive body has allocated land to MCL to build landfills and incinerators. Once operationalized the unsorted garbage at Bomb Guard will be landfilled at this new plant located at Skampari.
This would of course ease things in Leh. But even so, a crucial point is missed. It is as important if not more- to prevent waste from being produced in the first place. At any rate,to reduce its volumes.Clearly solid waste management in Leh needs to do more than just deal with the ravages of modern life. It needs to recall and if possible incorporate elements that protect the natural resources that the region is famed for. (Charkha Features)
The writer is an awardee of the SanjoyGhose Rural Reporting Award 2016-17.
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