StatesJammu and Kashmir
J&K notifies circular economy policy, aims to recover 90% of urban waste
The policy sets out a ₹3,548.7 crore plan over ten years, from apple orchard biomass to tourism waste, and leans on producers and user charges rather than subsidies.
Key points
- The plan carries an indicative ₹3,548.7 crore planning envelope over ten years.
- It targets over 90% material recovery in urban areas.
- Omar Abdullah called it "a decisive step towards resource recovery".
Jammu and Kashmir has notified a Circular Economy Policy that aims to recover more than 90% of the material in its towns’ waste through better segregation at source and less dumping in landfills, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling it “a decisive step towards resource recovery, green growth and ecological sustainability”.
The Jammu and Kashmir Circular Economy Policy, 2026, carries an indicative planning envelope of ₹3,548.7 crore over ten years. It plans to pay its way through central schemes, Extended Producer Responsibility mechanisms, user charges and public-private partnerships, so that it relies less on recurring government subsidy.
Three tiers, many waste streams
The policy sorts local bodies into three tiers, Circular, Circular+ and Circular++, according to what they can manage. Small and remote areas will process waste locally, towns along the main corridors will feed hub-and-spoke networks, and the big cities, Jammu and Srinagar among them, will get more advanced systems.
It covers municipal solid waste, food and wet waste, tourism waste, horticultural and farm biomass, packaging, construction debris, e-waste and wastewater, as well as repair, refurbishment and reuse, including material loops tied to wool and handicrafts. Regional clusters are planned around urban recovery, apple and horticulture biomass, tourism circuits and artisan materials.
The policy also aims to create work for self-help groups, young people and waste workers.