Kullu residents upset over MC inviting tenders for material recovery facility at Nehru Park

Residents of Kullu are upset over the local Municipal Council (MC) inviting tenders for the construction of a material recovery facility (MRF) shed at the Nehru Park at Sarwari in the heart of the town. The civic body has taken the decision despite repeated objections from local people, who term it as a health hazard and a threat to the environment caused by the dumping of waste at the site at present.

Local resident Dr Baldev Awasthi says the decision of the civic body is unfortunate and the site of a material recovery facility in a densely-populated area is a recipe for disaster. “It is unfortunate that the civic body is playing with the health of people,” he adds and urges the municipal authorities to consider alternative sites outside the town.

The current site of the material recovery facility at the Nehru Park was already embroiled in a controversy, having turned into a de facto dumping ground after the closure of other facilities. At present, the 11 wards of the Kullu council generate about 8 metric tonnes (MT) of waste every day, all of which is dumped at the Sarwari facility. Residents argue that the accumulated garbage poses severe health hazards, emanates a foul odour and sullies the aesthetics of the area.

Another resident, Dr Prambha, highlights the original sanctity of the site and says that the Nehru Park had been designated as a facility for senior citizens. He adds, “This park has been earmarked for the senior citizens of the town and can’t be used for other purposes, as the Kullu Deputy Commissioner had stated earlier.”

Environmentalists are also raising concerns over tenders invited for the material recovery facility. Environmentalist Abhishek Rai criticises the decision to set up a shredder and a shed in such a densely populated area, especially near the Sarwari rivulet, which may cause air quality and microplastic pollution risks. “The Municipal Council and the local administration have been unable to acquire land for setting up a garbage treatment plant for the past eight years,” Rai alleges, warning that the area will have another legacy waste mountain like at the defunct Pirdi and Rangri sites.

The crisis dates back to 2017 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered the closure of the Pirdi waste incinerator plant due to its proximity to the river. The situation worsened in July 2024 when the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant at Rangri near Manali stopped accepting waste from other areas. Since then, attempts to find a permanent solution to the problem have failed.

An appeal by the civic body for private land to set up a waste management unit has also failed to elicit interest. As a result, it decided to formalise the dumping ground in the middle of the city, leaving residents to fight for their right to clean environment.