Fire at dumping site puts spotlight on Kullu’s growing waste crisis

Some individuals allegedly set heaps of garbage on fire at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) site located at the Nehru Park in the Sarwari area of Kullu town last week. The waste, stored in gunny sacks, was reportedly set on fire intentionally. Firefighters responded promptly and managed to extinguish the flames and no major damage was reported. Videos of the incident quickly went viral on social media, spreading renewed concerns among residents and environmentalists about persistent pollution caused by garbage dumping in the heart of the town.

The issue has drawn the attention of judicial bodies in recent months. On June 5, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report published on May 30 that highlighted improper waste disposal in Kullu. Subsequently, on June 19, the High Court also intervened and issued five orders related to the matter.

This is not the first time Kullu’s waste management practices have come under scrutiny. In March, a video surfaced showing garbage being dumped from a JCB into the flooded Sarwari rivulet at night. The footage triggered widespread public outrage, prompting the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to issue a notice to the Municipal Council (MC). Although the MC initially denied involvement, it later deployed manual labourers and heavy machinery to clear the waste from the riverbank. The PCB eventually imposed Rs 24 lakh fine on the civic body.

The Kullu MC has been grappling with waste management challenges since 2017, when the NGT ordered the closure of the incinerator plant at Pirdi due to its proximity to the river and its contribution to mounting waste piles. Despite the identification of several potential sites for a new facility, progress has been hindered by objections from local panchayats, financial constraints and technical hurdles.

At present, the town’s 11 wards generate approximately 8 metric tonnes (MT) of waste daily. The situation worsened in July 2024 when the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant at Rangri, near Manali, stopped accepting waste from other regions. This led to a massive accumulation of garbage at the Sarwari MRF, which now serves as the primary dumping site for the entire town.

Waste processing at the Sarwari facility includes composting of wet waste, limited to a capacity of 3 MT per day, and shredding of dry waste, which is then transported to a cement plant in Baga, Solan district. However, residents argue that this system is inadequate and has resulted in excessive waste buildup.

In an effort to address the crisis, the MC invited expressions of interest from the public for offering private land, either on lease or for sale, to establish a Municipal Solid Waste Management unit. The initiative has so far failed to attract sufficient interest, prompting authorities to urge residents to suggest suitable land parcels.

Opposition from local residents to waste dumping and treatment near the town centre remains strong. Residents have raised concerns about environmental degradation and health risks associated with the shredder plant. Environmentalists have also warned about the waste’s proximity to the Sarwari rivulet and the potential contamination of local water sources.