Heaps of garbage dumped in close proximity to one of Srinagar’s key healthcare institutions have triggered serious health and safety concerns among patients, attendants, and staff alike. The unregulated dumping near the entrance of the hospital — which caters to hundreds of people daily — has not only created an unhygienic environment but is also posing a direct threat to public health.
Locals and hospital visitors say the site has turned into a full-scale dumping ground, with rotting biomedical waste, food leftovers, plastic materials, and even animal carcasses often seen piled up. The stench is unbearable, and the area has become a breeding ground for flies, stray dogs, and disease-carrying rodents.
“This is a hospital, not a dumping yard,” said Parvez Ahmad, an attendant who has been accompanying his ailing mother for the last three days. “The garbage lies exposed just outside the emergency entrance. We are forced to cover our mouths, and still the smell gets in. How are sick people supposed to heal in such filth?”
Healthcare workers inside the hospital also voiced concern, saying the accumulation of waste could undermine infection control protocols and potentially lead to outbreaks of diseases like gastroenteritis, typhoid, and other infections.
Doctors are particularly worried about the impact on immunocompromised patients. “The risk of secondary infections increases when patients are exposed to unhygienic environments. This is completely unacceptable,” a senior doctor said requesting anonymity.
Despite repeated complaints from hospital authorities and local residents, municipal response has remained inadequate. While the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) occasionally clears the waste, locals say the action is temporary, and dumping resumes within days.
“We have raised this issue with the concerned departments multiple times,” said a hospital administrator. “What we need is a permanent solution — not cosmetic clean-ups. Authorities must ensure designated waste management zones far from health institutions.”
Public health experts warn that such unchecked garbage dumping, especially near hospitals, violates multiple environmental and health safety regulations.
Advocate Bilal Lone, a local activist, blamed institutional apathy. “It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about the right to health and dignity. Garbage outside a hospital is a disgrace. This needs to be addressed urgently, and those responsible must be held accountable under public nuisance and environmental laws.”
With the city’s healthcare system already stretched due to increasing patient loads, unsanitary surroundings only make matters worse. Citizens are now urging Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration to intervene and ensure that strict waste management protocols are enforced, especially near all medical institutions.
Until then, patients and their families will continue to navigate a toxic welcome on their way to seek healing