Srinagar, Oct 06: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has directed all its gazetted officers to adopt and practise home composting at their respective residences, wherever practicable, as part of efforts to promote source-level management of biodegradable waste.
Under the order, the officers have been asked to ensure proper segregation of biodegradable or wet waste generated at their residences and process it through an appropriate home-composting method.
The composting facility or activity is required to be maintained regularly in a functional condition so that the initiative becomes a sustained waste-management practice rather than a one-time compliance exercise.
All gazetted officers have also been directed to submit geotagged photographs of the home-composting facility or activity at their residences to the concerned Zonal Officer or Sectional Head within 10 days from the date of issuance of the order.
The concerned Zonal Officers and Sectional Heads have been tasked with maintaining proper records of compliance and furnishing a consolidated report to the office of the Municipal Commissioner within the prescribed period.
The initiative, according to the order, is aimed at reducing the quantity of biodegradable waste requiring transportation to municipal waste-processing facilities and promoting decentralised processing of wet waste.
It also seeks to encourage a culture of “waste management at source”, under which waste is segregated and processed as close as possible to the point where it is generated.
The order said senior officers of the Corporation were expected to lead by example and demonstrate the practicality and benefits of decentralised waste management.
Salary linked to compliance
In a significant direction, the SMC has ordered that the salary for the current month of all gazetted officers shall be released only after submission of the requisite geotagged photographs and compliance regarding home composting.
All Joint Commissioners, the Superintending Engineer, Executive Engineers and Heads of Sections have been directed to bring the contents of the order to the notice of all gazetted officers and ensure that compliance is monitored in a timely manner.
The concerned officers have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the instructions.
The order has come into force with immediate effect.
