On the second day of its visit the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Subordinate Legislation today visited Gulmarg to take stock of the implementation of nationwide Swachh Bharat Mission there.The 12 member committee headed by Pratap Singh Bajwa enquired from the officers of Central Pollution Control Board, J&K Pollution Control Board and district administration about the measures taken to implement the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) there.The Committee asked about the measures taken by them to implement different rules and regulations regarding the management of municipal waste. It further enquired about the framing, compliance and adherence to the Acts and rules made therein by the administration.The Chairman of the JKPCB, Suresh Chugh informed the committee that the businesses are given consent by the Board after assessing their compliance with all the pollution control measures.
The Parliamentary Committee was further apprised that the famous Ski resort is visited by lakhs of local, national and foreign tourists each year. It was also apprised that in order to keep the tourist destination clean the Gulmarg Development Authority has established a Sewerage Treatment Plant of the capacity of 3 tonnes/day.The committee was informed that the door to door collection of waste is done each day from hotels, huts, shops, and way side amenities etc. It was also given that around 10 quintals of dry and wet waste is generated here and collected and treated by the administration. Both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste is treated at the STP with the help of Auto digestor and Magnetic Disintegrator respectively, the committee was informed.Those who were present on the occasion include Chairman CPCB, Naresh Gagwal; Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, Bhupinder Kumar; CEO, GDA, Dr Zahoor Ahmad Raina and other officers of JKPCB and local administration.