The Jammu and Kashmir government has acknowledged in the Legislative Assembly that untreated wastewater from Anantnag, Bijbehara, and Mattan is being discharged into nearby streams, raising concerns about pollution in the Jhelum River, Kashmir’s primary source of drinking water.
The disclosure came in a written response from the Housing and Urban Development Department, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on March 11, 2025. The response was given to Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, an MLA from Srigufwara-Bijbehara, who sought details on drainage networks and sewage treatment facilities in these towns.
The government stated that municipal bodies and the Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED) constructed drainage networks, which are interconnected where possible. It claimed that while some sewage is treated at Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), refuse from drains is “neutralised into nearby nallahs” (streams). However, since these nallahs are tributaries of the Jhelum, there is growing concern over direct contamination of the river.
The government also cited a 4 million litres per day STP at Mehandi Kadal in Anantnag, claiming it was fully operational. However, Veeri strongly contested this claim, calling the response misleading.
Veeri criticized the municipal bodies of Anantnag, Bijbehara, and Mattan, stating that they are violating the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 by allowing untreated waste to enter the Jhelum. He questioned whether the Mehandi Kadal STP was even functional, calling for accountability from authorities.
Environmental activist Mushtaq Pahalgami further slammed the administration, stating that not a single functional STP exists to protect the Jhelum from pollution. He also alleged that funds allocated under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) have failed to curb contamination, calling for urgent intervention to prevent further degradation of Kashmir’s water resources.