Srinagar, Feb 26: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has intervened in the alleged illegal dumping of municipal solid waste by the Municipal Committee Awantipora near Padgampora–Dangerpora village along National Highway-44, directing the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) to conduct a fresh site inspection and asking the municipality to take immediate remedial measures.
The matter came up before the Principal Bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Prakash Srivastava, Chairperson, along with Expert Member Dr Afroz Alam, on a petition filed by social activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner informed the tribunal that the Municipal Committee Awantipora was dumping solid waste collected from Awantipora and Tral towns in an unscientific manner at the site, which is located adjacent to an irrigation canal locally known as Padgampora Nehar. It was submitted that the dumping violated provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The petitioner’s counsel placed photographs on record to show heaps of waste lying at the site and also referred to an inspection report of the JKPCC dated August 14, 2025, which stated that the dumping site had been established illegally without obtaining prior consent from the pollution control body.
The tribunal was further informed that a show-cause notice was issued by the JKPCC to the Municipal Committee Awantipora on August 14, 2025, for violations of environmental norms and proposing punitive action. Despite this, the municipality allegedly continued dumping waste at the same location.
The order of the NGTs Principal bench reads: “J&K Pollution Control Committee-JKPCC is directed to carry out the fresh inspection and ascertain the quantity of the solid waste which has been illegally dumped in the area and also ascertain since when this waste is lying dumped there and action, if any, taken for remediating the problem. Let a comprehensive report be filed at least one week before the next date of hearing. The other respondents are also directed to file the reply at least one week before the next date of hearing. In the meanwhile, the Respondent No. 3 – Municipal Committee, Awantipora, is directed to take all possible remedial measures”
While welcoming the order of the NGT, petitioner Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat said that crores of rupees were allocated by Govt to MC Awantipora for setting up a sanitary landfill site , but they chose a place which is near the national highway and agriculture fields and mismanaged the funds as well.
“The waste is being directly dumped without any segregation process or treatment in open violation of MSW Rules 2016. I wrote to the Govt and MC Awantipora to rectify their mistakes but they continued to do this illegal work. I was forced to seek NGT’s intervention. I am sure massive Environmental Compensation would be imposed on MC Awantipora after next date of hearing because they have already been reprimanded by JKPCC for this illegal act, “Dr Raja Muzaffar added
The case is again listed for hearing in the National Green Tribunal-NGT on 13th May 2026.
