Haridwar left to deal with 63,50,293kg trash after Kanwar Yatra
What's the story
The holy city of Haridwar is grappling with the aftermath of the two-week-long "Kanwar Yatra," which saw a record 48 million pilgrims. The pilgrimage left behind over 7,000 tons (63,50,293kg) of garbage, including plastic, clothes, and non-degradable polythene waste. In the changing rooms, water bottles filled with urine were also found. The worst-hit areas are the Ganga river ghats, markets frequented by pilgrims, access roads from national highways and parking zones used during processions.
Ecological preservation
It is being cleared since Tuesday evening
"...approximately 7000 tonnes of garbage were generated during the two weeks of Kanwar yatra. It is being cleared since Tuesday evening, as Kanwariyas started leaving the city for their respective destinations after the Shravan Shivratri Ganga Aarti. Sanitation workers have been deployed in groups around Har-ki-Pauri and the Mela," Nandan Kumar, municipal corporation town commissioner, said.
"Waste collection and disposal is also being carried out in city markets, lanes, roads and parking lots on a war footing," Kumar added.
Cleanup efforts
HMC launches massive post-yatra cleanup
The Haridwar Municipal Corporation (HMC) has launched a massive cleanup operation after the Kanwar Yatra, with around 1,000 additional outsourced workers and over 80 vehicles deployed for sanitation and waste disposal.
The effort is focused on major ghats, Kanwar routes, market areas and public spaces.
The massive cleanliness effort will continue till August 18 to restore cleanliness in the district to pre-Kanwar fair levels.
Tech intervention
Drones used for the 1st time, solar sensor dustbins tested
For the first time, the HMC also employed drones for monitoring sanitation during the pilgrimage season.
The drones were used to ensure cleanliness along major Kanwar routes and crowded areas.
Solar sensor dustbins were also tested during the festival as part of efforts to introduce technology into waste management.
Locals are outraged by the state of the ghats, with one resident calling the situation "unfortunate."
Environmentalists
Environmentalists have warned pollution levels could rise
Environmentalists have warned pollution levels in the Ganga could rise if the waste were not removed in time and rain washed it into the river.
"Such a large floating population of Kanwariyas certainly has a bearing on pollution levels in the Ganga. Bacterial content increases when garbage, sewage, plastic, polythene and human waste enter the river. The risk of microplastics being absorbed also remains a major concern," said Gagan Matta, assistant professor, department of environmental science, Gurukula Kangri University.
Ecological impact
Waste problem also in Gangotri
The waste problem isn't just limited to Haridwar. In Uttarkashi, around 57,000 pilgrims visited Gangotri and left behind tons of waste. This has raised concerns over its impact on the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
Gangotri is a plastic-free zone, and the presence of plastic waste violates environmental rules, threatening local flora and fauna.
In light of the waste accumulation, the forest department has launched a special cleanliness drive in Gangotri. During this operation, officials collected 57 sacks of waste for disposal.