Srinagar- On a crisp Wednesday morning at the Government College for Women on M.A. Road, students gathered to hear a warning and a challenge: Kashmir's waste crisis is growing, and the choices made today will decide the valley's tomorrow.

The workshop, focused on shrinking spaces and climate change, highlighted a pressing problem. Urban growth and population pressures are leaving the valley with shrinking land and fewer options for proper waste disposal. Landfill sites are crowded, and authorities are struggling to keep up.

“Families in Srinagar who have even a small garden must start composting kitchen waste,” said Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, chairman of the J&K Climate Action Group.“If every household does this within a year, we can cut the city's daily waste from 700 metric tons to 200.”

Dr. Bhat urged the students and staff to lead by example, processing biodegradable waste generated on campus.“Garden leaves, food scraps, vegetable and fruit peelings can return to the soil instead of piling up in landfills,” he said.

Principal Yasmeen Farooq stressed the need for sustainable living.“Climate change is not distant. It is affecting our valley now,” she said. She pledged further efforts to make the college campus greener and more climate-friendly.

The workshop included practical demonstrations. Dr. Bhat showed students and faculty how to segregate waste at the source.

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