Tonnes of untreated waste dumped in Kedarnath landfills, RTI query shows

Tonnes of untreated waste continue to be dumped at the landfill sites around the famous Himalayan temple of Kedarnath, causing concern among those who care for the environment as the area is eco-sensitive.

A right to information (RTI) query filed by a Noida-based environmentalist has revealed that a total of 49.18 tonnes of unprocessed garbage generated in Kedarnath was dumped at two landfill sites near the temple between 2022 and 2024.

The non-processed garbage generated in the area also showed a rising trend during the period, with 13.2 tonnes of untreated waste generated in 2022, 18.48 tonnes in 2023 and 17.5 tonnes so far this year, according to the Uttarakhand government's response to the RTI query.

Besides, the eco-sensitive area also generated 23.3 tonnes of inorganic garbage during the period. However, all of it was processed or recycled, the public information officer of the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat said in response to the RTI query filed by Amit Gupta.

"The RTI data is shocking both in terms of the quantity of garbage generated and the manner in which it has been left untreated. It proves once again that there is no proper garbage management system in Kedarnath, which is an eco-sensitive area," Gupta said.

"The temple is situated at a height of 12,000 feet, where there are also glaciers. The eco-sensitivity of the area is beyond doubt. The lack of a proper garbage management system in Kedarnath even figured in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme last year. Still, nothing is being done by the authorities on the ground to transport the plastic waste to the plains and process it," he said.

The two landfill sites near the temple are reaching their saturation point. If things continue in this manner, another tragedy like the 2013 disaster is unavoidable, the activist said.

What makes the situation even more worrying is that the response to the RTI query claims that no complaint was registered or action taken during the period against garbage disposal in an irresponsible manner.

"I have myself been writing to the authorities for the last two years on the garbage issue in Kedarnath. At least half-a-dozen complaints have been filed by me only," Gupta said.

"The NGT (National Green Tribunal) and the NMCG (National Mission for Clean Ganga) have also taken note of my complaints. Sharing my concern, they directed the authorities to do something to rid the holy place located in the ecologically-fragile Himalayas of untreated waste by setting up enough sewage treatment plants in Kedarnath," he added.

The NMCG has also written to the Rudraprayag district administration, asking it to take necessary steps to stop the rising pollution levels of the Mandakini river, which flows near the Himalayan temple.

The NMCG issued the directions to the district administration on a complaint filed by Gupta on the basis of an RTI query, which revealed that the absence of sewage treatment plants in Kedarnath is leading to rising pollution levels in the Mandakini, a tributary of the Ganga, with untreated waste being released directly into it.