Though it is in nascent stage the futuristic outlook to make Jammu garbage-free through Solid and Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) mode by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) looks quite a promising one involving volunteers. The recycling of waste into resource to generate revenue and jobs will surely give boost to economic activates. Known as ‘Vellore Model’ in SLRM promoted by C. Srinivasan is stated to be the most effective way of managing solid and liquid resources and to implement a decentralised process of disposing of the wastes wherein the wastes generated by different categories of service providers could be separately composted or safely disposed of by associations of the respective service-providers. In the absence of proper waste resource management Jammu and other cities of Jammu and Kashmir are the perennial victims of mounts of garbage accumulated in the open at various places posing a health hazard for the residents of the area. Plastic bags and other materials of same nature after cleaning and washing can be used in road relaying purposes as these work as a bonding agent at the hot remix plant stage giving roads a better driving experience and less damages during the rainy season. Kerala is one of the pioneer states which has adopted the technology for the recycle and reuse of large quantity of plastic, which is non biodegradable and remains for years harming the environment, in road construction and strengthening. Seeing the present condition a garbage-free Jammu is futuristic dream which can only be materialised with the active participation of the people themselves. Urinating in the open, spitting on the roads and dumping garbage wherever convenient than the allotted garbage collection bin has not changed the attitude of the people till date and river Tawi which is claimed as lifeline of the region has become an open receiver of all the muck and garbage created by the cities on its banks. One solution to reduce the garbage produced is to segregate at source and recycle and change in peoples’ mindset. This could be the main reason why an old city like Mysore has outpaced a modern city like Chandigarh in cleanliness drive.
