No headway on Manikaran garbage plant

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, May 26

Over a year ago, a garbage treatment plant was proposed to be set up at Kasol for efficient disposal of the garbage of the area. However, the proposal seems to have been confined to paper as no progress has been made on the project so far.

Manali refuses to collect garbage

• Presently, garbage from Manikaran valley is being sent to a treatment plant in Manali
• The Manali Municipal Council (MC) has, however, refused to accept waste from areas outside the town from June 21
• The Rural Development Department had identified 2 bigha land near Kasol in Parbati valley
• The proposal was sent to the Directorate for approval in February 2023, but no progress has been made thus far

Marring the beauty of the town

Various trekking routes in the valley are often littered with garbage. Our organisation launches cleanliness campaigns, but the government should take concrete measures to address the issue. The work on the waste disposal plant should be started at the earliest. — DR Suman, president, Parbati Valley Adventure Tour Operators Association

Presently, garbage from the Manikaran valley is being sent to a treatment plant in Manali.

The Manali Municipal Council (MC) has, however, expressed its reluctance to accept the waste from areas outside the town, maintaining that the dumping yard at Rangri already has garbage beyond its capacity.

The MC has refused to accept waste from other areas from June 21.

The Rural Development Department had identified 2 bigha land near Kasol in Parbati valley for the garbage disposal plant, and the matter was sent to the Directorate for approval in February 2023, but no progress has been made thus far.

With the increase in tourist footfall in the valley over the years, managing garbage is becoming quite the task in the absence of a garbage treatment plant.

In 2018, the hotel association of the area and people of the valley had aired their concerns with the state government and the administration regarding garbage disposal and other issues affecting the area.

Dhiraj, a local, said, “There is no dumping site anywhere in the valley and garbage can be seen littered in the open.” He alleged that the garbage was polluting the Parbati river. Trash was also strewn in forests along roads and river banks and towards

Kheerganga, he added.

DR Suman, president,

Parbati Valley Adventure Tour Operators Association, said, “Various trekking routes in the valley are often littered with garbage. Our organisation launches cleanliness campaigns, but the government should take concrete measures to address the issue. The work on the waste disposal plant should be started at the earliest.”

The civic bodies of Kullu, Bhuntar, Manikaran and Banjar have been looking to set up garbage treatment plants in their respective areas for the past over five years after waste dumping at the waste incinerator plant in Pirdi was stopped in January 2019 on the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and further directions of the Supreme Court.

Though some places were shortlisted by the administration and urban local bodies for the purpose, local panchayats had objected to setting up of the garbage treatment plants in these areas.