Manimahesh yatra: Over 5,000 kg waste collected as pilgrims leave litter behind

As the annual Manimahesh pilgrimage is approaching its conclusion, the green activists and sanitation workers deployed along the 14-kilometre trek have collected over 5,000 kg of waste, so far, across six major halting points across the route.

The waste, littered across various rest points along the pilgrimage route, was sorted and segregated before being packed into bags.

Volunteers of a Dharamsala based green group Dhauladhar Cleaners and another Manali based organisation Healing Himalayas have been shouldering the responsibility, along with a 100-strong force of sanitation workers deployed by the administration, to maintain cleanliness during the pilgrimage so that the harm to local ecology is minimised.

This year was for the first time that the Bharmour administration had put in place the arrangements for on- the-spot segregation of plastic and other solid waste.

Arvind Sharma, founder of the Dhauladhar Cleaners said they were overseeing waste management and maintaining cleanliness across the six halting points en route the Manimahesh Lake.

Apart from this, our volunteers also spread awareness among the pilgrims and shopkeepers about environmental responsibility and importance of maintaining cleanliness by way of personal interactions and placards.

The volunteers and sanitation workers were deployed on the route from August 23, three days prior to the official start of the Yatra. Special emphasis was being placed on the management of plastic waste, with on-site segregation being a key strategy. There was a complete ban on carrying polythene bags.

As per the data gathered till September 6, an aggregate of 909 bags weighing 5,025 kg waste was collected at the halting points.

A total 115 bags weighing 630 kg waste was collected from Manimahesh Lake area; 207 bags weighing 995 kg waste at Gaurikund; 108 bags weighing 579 kg waste at Sundrasi; 148 bags weighing 775 kg at Dhancho and 66 bags totaling 340 kg waste at Donali.

Maximum, 265 bags with a massive 1,706 kg of waste was collected at the Hadsar, the base camp of the pilgrimage, said Sharma.

The waste segregation process involved sorting materials such as plastic, wrappers and clothes. As per the data, a total of 1,808 kg of multi-layered plastic, 1,680 kg of empty milk packets and wrappers, 75 kg wrappers of chips etc and 66 kg of clothes have been segregated at these points.

After the Yatra concludes on September 11, the waste would be transported to the nearest road from where it would disposed-off scientifically while the recyclable waste would be sent to recycling facilities.