Kashmir Pen News Desk
Srinagar, July 9: In a significant development, a high-level meeting was convened on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir to deliberate on pressing civic issues raised by the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) J&K. The meeting brought together senior administrative officials and civic planners, alongside a delegation of retired bureaucrats, engineers, and public health experts.
Among the officials present were the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, SMC Commissioner, engineers from multiple departments, Director Health Services, SSP Traffic, and representatives from UEED and other civic bodies. The GCC delegation was led by Naseem Lanker (Retd. IAS and former Divisional Commissioner) and included:
• Er. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili (Retd. Chief Engineer)
• Mr. Abdul Rashid Khan (Retd. IGP)
• Dr. Farooq Ahmad Kaloo (Former Director Animal Husbandry)
• Dr. Fiaz Fazili (Surgeon and Healthcare Policy Expert)
• Er. Hakim Iftikhar (Former Chief Town Planner, J&K)
• Er. Iftikhar A. Drabu (WSP India; Head, Nordics ICRC)
• Mohammad Rafi (Former Director Education & Deputy Commissioner, currently Secretary GCC J&K)
The delegation highlighted several grave issues affecting the health, safety, and urban environment of Srinagar, with a special focus on the Achan landfill site, which they described as an environmental and public health disaster in the making. The GCC warned that toxic gases emitted from the site could affect nearby areas like Eidgah, Lal Bazar, Soura, and even SKIMS Hospital, posing risks such as cancer, respiratory disorders, infertility, allergies, and strong noxious odors.
The group recommended:
• A comprehensive air quality survey of the impacted areas
• Routine monitoring of toxic gas levels
• Public advisories and OSHA-standard health guidelines for affected residents
• Interim mitigation measures until a permanent waste management solution is implemented
Another alarming concern was the unauthorized dumping site near Jamkash in Hyderpora, where waste disposal trucks reportedly unload garbage, and local women are seen sorting waste barehanded. The GCC called this practice unsafe and in violation of basic human dignity and occupational safety norms.
Traffic congestion and regulatory failures were also key points of discussion, with specific reference to critical chokepoints like Jehangir Chowk and Hyderpora junction, where frequent traffic snarls are causing daily inconvenience to commuters. The GCC urged better traffic planning, deployment of personnel at bottlenecks, and the creation of dedicated corridors to ease congestion, especially during peak hours.
Other topics covered included:
• Poor drainage and sewerage infrastructure
• Encroachment on public land
• Unchecked conversion of farmlands into construction zones
• Inadequate flood prevention planning
• Lack of inter-departmental coordination and weak enforcement of urban development norms
Food safety also featured prominently, with GCC members demanding more frequent inspections and stricter regulations on hygiene, food additives, and quality control to protect public health.
Responding to the concerns, the Divisional Commissioner assured the GCC that all issues raised would be taken seriously and instructions would be issued to the relevant departments for prompt action. He emphasized the administration’s willingness to engage with civil society experts in shaping a more responsive and sustainable urban governance framework.
(Representative image AI Generated )
