NGT Amicus Flags 530-Tonne Waste Treatment Gap in Jammu and Kashmir

30 Jun 2026 CW Team

An amicus curiae appointed by the National Green Tribunal submitted a note to the Principal Bench in connection with Original Application No. 606 of 2018 after reviewing a compliance affidavit from the Union Territory. The note observed that Jammu and Kashmir generates 1,557 tonnes (t) of municipal solid waste every day. It assessed that nearly 1,027 t are processed daily, leaving a treatment shortfall of about 530 t per day and that around 26 t remain uncollected each day.

The note further stated that nearly 352 t are currently being deposited in landfills and that a proposal to use Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) in cement plants is under consideration. It recorded that a 300-tonne-per-day Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant has been sanctioned and is expected to be completed by March 2027, and that two Construction and Demolition waste processing facilities are likely to be commissioned this year. Concerns were raised about the scale of legacy waste and the pace of planned interventions. The submission set out timelines and proposed projects but noted gaps in operational detail.

The amicus noted that around 1.816 million (mn) t of old waste lie at 101 identified dump sites across 49 urban local bodies. It highlighted that information on leachate treatment, land reclamation, site restoration and the future use of reclaimed land has not been adequately provided by the authorities. The lack of such details was described as an obstacle to effective remediation.

The note also flagged environmental risks from waste processing units located close to sensitive water bodies, citing the Bandipora facility near the Wular Ramsar Wetland as an example where leachate could pollute freshwater sources. It pointed to flood-related damage to processing installations at RS Pura and Arnia, indicating insufficient disaster-resilient planning. The amicus suggested measures to safeguard environmentally sensitive water bodies and urged more comprehensive technical plans.

Infrastructure Transport

30 Jun 2026

The Risk of Negative Bids

The phenomenon of negative bidding in India's roads sector has moved from being an occasional occurrence to an industry-wide concern. With contractors increasingly quoting significantly below project estimates to secure orders, questions are being raised over project viability, execution quality and the long-term sustainability of the contracting ecosystem.These concerns formed the core of a high-level industry roundtable organised by CW, where senior industry leaders deliberated on the reasons behind the trend, its implications and the reforms needed to restore discipline and sustainability i..

Building Faster, Cleaner and More Profitably

The First Construction Council (FCC), in association with CW magazine and supported by Autodesk as the Presenting Partner, recently convened an exclusive CXO roundtable titled “Building Faster, Cleaner and More Profitably: The Growth Playbook for Construction Leaders.”Held as part of a multi-city dialogue series spanning Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, the roundtable brought together senior industry leaders to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities shaping India's construction and real-estate sectors...To read the full article Click Here ..

NICMAR’s campus is a live lesson in construction methodology

At NICMAR University, architecture becomes a live lesson in construction innovation. Pankaj Nande, Principal Architect, TDC Architecture and Design, explains how Alumil’s fenestration systems helped turn a precast campus vision into a functional, durable and future-facing learning environment for the next generation of builders.Please take us through your journey as an architect and some of the projects you have worked on.I am the founder of TDC- Architecture & Design, Pune. Our journey started with the thought of doing justice not only to design, but also to construction methodology, te..