Pollution in Doodh Ganga is a Human Rights Violation

It is now more than 5 years since I have been urging the Jammu & Kashmir Government to look into the water pollution that has destroyed Doodh Ganga stream flowing through Budgam & Srinagar. This small river is the source of drinking water for a half a million population in Srinagar uptown. The water from Doodh Ganga is lifted in Srinagar outskirts and then supplied through pipes from Doodh Ganga water supply scheme located at Kralpora locality around 9 kms from Srinagar city centre. But mere filtration of water or killing the bacteria with chlorine gasification won’t make this water fit for drinking ? A lot of liquid waste , solid waste and other kinds of hazardous waste like pesticides sprayed on apple trees gets washed away in Doodh Ganga.

I have been constantly writing about this issue for the last 8 years now. I had moved a petition before the erstwhile J&K State Human Rights Commission -SHRC as well in 2018 who issued notices to many Govt institutions, but unfortunately the SHRC was shut down after article 370 of constitution giving special status to J&K was repealed.

In 2021, I moved a petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against pollution in Doodh Ganga at various locations in Budgam & Srinagar. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is pumping out untreated sewage from localities like Chanapora , Barzulla , Bulbul Bagh , Pamposh Colony and the said waste is drained into Doodh Ganga.