Swachh Bharat Mission ‘comes to a standstill’ in several Pulwama villages
Waste collection halts, locals forced to dump waste on roads and open spaces
Pulwama: Residents of several villages in Pulwama district have alleged that the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has virtually come to a standstill in their areas after door-to-door solid waste collection was suspended over a month ago, forcing people to dump garbage along roadsides, stream banks, orchards and even near educational institutions.
The affected villages include Koil, Tengpuna, Pathan Pahloo and Talangam, where locals said the Block Development Office (BDO) Pulwama had been providing regular household waste collection services until the first week of June 2026.
According to residents, the service was discontinued due to the absence of a designated dumping site and proper solid waste management infrastructure, leaving thousands of people without any organised mechanism for garbage disposal.
As a result, they said, dozens of unauthorized dumping spots have emerged across the area. From Z-Home locality to Koil Karewa, Reshibaba Mohalla near the drinking water pumping station, Chinar Bagh, Muslim Mohalla, Wanpora and areas surrounding several small and large bridges, heaps of household waste can now be seen lying in the open.
Locals claimed that more than 20 such illegal dumping sites have developed in and around Koil village alone.
“The suspension of waste collection has created a serious public health concern. With no alternative disposal facility available, people are compelled to throw garbage on roadsides, along stream banks, near schools and even in agricultural fields and horticultural orchards,” said a local resident.
Another resident said the situation has become increasingly unhygienic, with foul smell, stray dogs and insects gathering around garbage heaps.
“The stench has become unbearable in many localities. Besides polluting the environment, these open dumping sites increase the risk of disease outbreaks, particularly during the summer season. Children and elderly people are the worst affected,” he said.
Residents also pointed to the growing number of cow dung dumping sites along roads, saying they further worsen sanitation conditions and pose inconvenience to commuters.
They recalled that a few years ago, the Panchayat Office Koil, under the supervision of the BDO Pulwama and other concerned authorities, had carried out a large-scale sanitation drive using bulldozers and other machinery to clear accumulated waste from the area.
“Similar action is urgently needed again. The authorities had successfully cleaned these places in the past, but the problem has resurfaced because there is no permanent waste disposal system,” another local said.
The residents urged the Block Development Officer Pulwama and the Rural Development Department to immediately resume door-to-door waste collection, identify a scientific dumping site and establish proper solid waste management infrastructure to ensure regular disposal of garbage.
“We are not asking for anything extraordinary. We simply want the waste collection service to be restored and a permanent solution put in place. If immediate measures are not taken, the situation could lead to serious health and environmental consequences,” the residents said.
