Manali: A dump yard with over 2000 tonnes of waste generated by tourists

Manali in Himachal Pradesh remains one of the top tourist destinations as the searing heat in North India pushes people to the hills. During summer, tourism rises exponentially.

Generating around 30-40 tonnes of waste every day in the past two months, the 10 lakh tourists flocking the spot have created over 2,000 tonnes of garbage, according to a Times of India report.

Plastic waste collected from the Rohtang Pass to Solang is being sent to a Barmana cement plant for "complete destruction”. Although treated at facilities, large amounts of waste are piling up – clogging up Manali and its surrounding areas.

Civic bodies plan to work with a garbage power plant with the capacity to combust 100 tonnes of waste to combat the situation, Narayan Singh Verma, Municipal Council Executive Officer, Manali, told the Times Of India. "It is expected to start working by next week," he said, ensuring that the plant will solve most problems once it starts functioning.

"We generate less waste as compared to consumption capacity of the plant," Narayan Singh Verma added. He mentioned how the locals produce very little waste compared to the collection figures during summer. Tourists are also known to litter which is causing further issues.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Municipal Corporations to treat the garbage issue immediately while ensuring security of the Beas river and local environment.

To manage waste efficiently, hoteliers have been asked to submit an undertaking to segregate garbage. Municipal Corporations shall not accept waste if rules are not followed.

(With inputs from TOI)