Bandipora makes home composting of wet waste mandatory for households with adequate space; JKCAG hails order

Bandipora: The Jammu & Kashmir Climate Action Group (JKCAG) has appreciated the Bandipora district administration for issuing a notification making home composting of biodegradable waste mandatory in the town, particularly for households with adequate space around their premises.

In a statement, Chairman of the J&K Climate Action Group (JKCAG), Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, termed the move a landmark decision, saying it would reduce the load on the local landfill site at Zalwan, which has allegedly been operating illegally for several years despite clear directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

“I appreciate the decision taken by DC Bandipora Indu Kanwal to order home composting of food waste, kitchen waste and other biodegradable waste in Bandipora town. I hope this practice is adopted across the district soon, and DCs in other districts also issue similar orders, which are now mandatory under the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016,” said Dr Raja Muzaffar.

Notification No. 7, dated August 7, 2026, issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora, reads:

“Whereas the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 mandate source segregation of waste and promote decentralised processing of biodegradable waste at or near the source of its generation, and whereas transportation of biodegradable waste to municipal processing facilities is resource-intensive, environmentally undesirable, and can be substantially reduced through household-level composting, now, therefore, in exercise of the powers vested in the District Administration for ensuring effective implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, it is hereby ordered that every household having adequate space shall process its biodegradable (wet) waste within its own premises through home composting or any other approved mechanical composting method.”

“With effect from September 1, 2026, the Municipal Council Bandipora shall discontinue routine door-to-door collection of wet waste from such households. Municipal collection shall primarily be restricted to dry/recyclable waste and residual domestic waste.”

The order also states that households unable to undertake home composting due to genuine space constraints may submit a self-declaration to the Municipal Council Bandipora, which will assess the case and make suitable arrangements wherever feasible.

Source segregation into wet, dry, sanitary and hazardous waste is now mandatory in Bandipora town for all households, institutions, commercial establishments and other waste generators.

Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) are required to establish and operate in-situ biodegradable waste processing facilities strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.

Pertinently, the district administration had already held a meeting with BWGs and sensitised them about the process through a detailed workshop, which was also attended by this author at the DC office in Bandipora on June 30, 2026.

The J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) had imposed a penalty of more than Rs 64 lakh on the Municipal Council Bandipora in 2021 for the alleged violation of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, by dumping waste near Zalwan, a Wular catchment area.

The Municipal Council Bandipora approached the NGT challenging the JKPCC order, but the penalty was upheld and the council was directed to pay the amount. The MC Bandipora subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which also upheld the order and strongly criticised the municipality.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and C T Ravikumar, in October 2022, dismissed the MC Bandipora’s plea and directed it to pay the Rs 64 lakh penalty.

The apex court had observed: “Is it the way you deal with matters? Is it the consciousness of your state? You cannot play with the lives of people. Deposit the fine.”

“Unfortunately, the MC Bandipora continues to dump waste at the Zalwan site in clear violation not only of the MSW Rules, 2016, and Wetland Rules, 2017, but also of the Supreme Court and NGT judgments,” Dr Raja Muzaffar added.