LEH: On the morning of 14th November a resident from Housing Colony (Deskit Tsal) Leh called STATE TIMES to find out what was happening as the entire area of housing colony had chocked with thick layers of smoke and people could hardly see their neighbours’ houses.
Huge heaps of garbage dumped near Housing Colony was on fire when this correspondent visited the site. Many residents in and around Leh thought that perhaps the administration was burning garbage to get rid of overflowing it in the valley.
When STATE TIMES brought it to the notice of the administration and other concerned officials, they assured to put an end to the toxic fumes which are being spread in the air not only in Deskit Tsal, Leh but its surrounding areas as well. “I have learnt that garbage dumped at the site had somehow caught fire. We will stop it immediately with use of JCBs,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Leh Moses Kunzang told STATE TIMES. He added that a new site for dumping garbage has already been indentified and administration would go for scientific disposal of garbage from next year at the new site.
When informed about the garbage being burnt, Councillor Lower Leh Phuntsog Wangdan Shunu said nobody brought to his notice before and assured that he will ask administration to immediately stop it. “I will go myself tomorrow to the site with tankers of water to stop these toxic fumes from being aired,” Wangdan assured.
Namgyal Tashi, a resident of Deskit Tsal, said that the situation would in few days turn into what had happened to Delhi recently if some steps are not taken. Many apprehensive residents also took it to social media and called for immediate action to end toxic fumes being further spread.
Alerting the administration about the dense smog being observed above Deskit Tsal, a resident wrote on the popular Facebook group ‘Ladakh in the Media’ that waste from Leh dumped at the site is probably being burnt as filthy plastic smell was prevailing in the air as far as in Murtse Colony. “Well many of us may not be noticing health implications of it but for sure our health is being compromised/ ruined,” he added. S. Angchuk another resident of the area alleged that garbage is being burnt either by the administration or by some other people as they see smoke coming out of the valley very often.
It seems fire was there for the last few days and it has not yet stopped but the administration and Lower Leh Councillor have assured to put an end to it at least by Tuesday if not possible immediately.