HP’s waste woes
The Himachal Pradesh government's proposed Policy for Solid Waste Management Facilities in Rural Areas, 2024, though a welcome move, raises pressing concerns about the state’s overall waste management strategy. Aiming to streamline waste segregation and disposal at the panchayat level, the policy must be expedited as HP is already grappling with a waste crisis, exacerbated by ineffective execution of past plans. The data is staggering. The state generates approximately 375 tonnes of solid waste daily across 60 urban local bodies (ULBs). The legacy waste backlog stands at over 2.48 lakh tonnes, with only six of the 16 identified sites having been cleared. Meanwhile, the National Green Tribunal has flagged a 9.6-MLD (million litres per day) shortfall in sewage treatment capacity and 20 ULBs still lack sewage management facilities. Shockingly, while some sewage treatment plants are overloaded, a significant proportion of households remain disconnected, exposing a critical flaw in planning.
The government has signed pacts with cement manufacturers for co-processing non-recyclable plastic waste, but this remains a limited solution. A large proportion of plastic waste —from shampoo bottles to chips packets — continues to clog water bodies and urban landscapes. While over four lakh rural households still await access to proper wet waste disposal, the sheer volume of accumulating garbage suggests that incremental measures will not suffice.
A long-term, action-oriented strategy is needed — one that includes mandatory waste segregation at source, expansion of waste-to-energy projects, stricter plastic production regulations and comprehensive recycling initiatives. The recently announced environmental cell within the Urban Development Department must act decisively to bridge policy gaps. Himachal’s fragile ecology cannot withstand poor waste management. The voters must make it a poll issue, pressing upon the government to embrace outcome-driven enforcement. Otherwise, the very hills that attract millions of tourists will soon be buried under mounting waste.
