A recent order issued by the Secretary, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), directing gazetted officers to adopt home composting has drawn a positive response from environmental groups and civil society organisations.

The directive, among the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir, requires senior municipal officials to manage biodegradable household waste through composting at their residences. It represents an important step towards encouraging individual and collective responsibility in tackling the growing problem of solid waste pollution.

At a time when Srinagar continues to grapple with the foul stench emanating from the Achan landfill in Soura, the SMC’s initiative offers a promising approach to waste management at the household level.

Environmental activists and civil society members have long advocated decentralised waste management. In a similar initiative, the Deputy Commissioner of Bandipora recently made home composting of biodegradable wet waste mandatory for households with adequate space, effective September 1, 2026.

The Bandipora administration’s order places responsibility for managing household waste directly on those who generate it, marking a significant shift towards waste management at source. Kashmir Observer also highlighted the importance of this initiative in its editorial, Waste Comes Home.

My own understanding of household composting and its environmental benefits has largely been shaped by the writings and videos of noted environmentalist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, who has consistently advocated sustainable waste management practices across Jammu and Kashmir.

Understanding Home Composting

Composting is an environmentally beneficial method of recycling organic waste generated in kitchens, gardens and parks. It is, in essence, nature’s own recycling process, through which biodegradable waste is transformed into nutrient-rich compost that can be used in gardens, parks and orchards.

Besides improving soil fertility and plant health, composting promotes biodiversity, helps conserve water and reduces dependence on chemical fertilisers.

Common household materials suitable for composting include fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, grass clippings, eggshells, tea leaves, certain untreated paper and cardboard products, hair and other biodegradable materials.

The choice before us is simple: should we continue sending organic waste to already overburdened landfills, or should we convert it into a valuable resource through composting?

Nature sustains human life, and humans, in turn, have a responsibility to protect and preserve it.

Bandipora Takes the Lead

Bandipora has emerged as the first district in Jammu and Kashmir to introduce a district-level initiative aimed at managing biodegradable waste at its source.

In August 2026, Deputy Commissioner Indu Kanwal directed households with adequate space to begin composting their biodegradable waste within their premises.

The order marked an important attempt to involve the public directly in combating waste pollution and promoting decentralised waste management.

Referring to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, the notification........

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