Kullu: Trash trouble in tourist town!

Seven years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the closure of the Pirdi waste incinerator plant, the Kullu Municipal Council (MC) is still without a permanent solution for managing the town’s mounting garbage. The closure, ordered in June 2017 due to the plant’s proximity to the river and its unseemly impact on the scenic tourist destination, marked the beginning of an unresolved civic challenge.

Since then, Kullu MC has attempted to identify new sites for a solid waste treatment facility, but stiff resistance from local panchayats, lack of funding and technical roadblocks have stalled progress. With options dwindling, the MC recently issued a public appeal seeking expressions of interest from individuals willing to lease or sell land for a waste management facility. However, the response has been tepid at best.

Garbage conundrum

• Background: The NGT ordered closure of Pirdi waste incinerator plant in 2017 and no permanent solution for waste management since then

• Current challenges: About 8 MT of waste generated daily in Kullu and the RDF plant in Manali has stopped accepting waste from outside areas

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• Opposition and concerns: Locals oppose waste facilities near residential or ecologically sensitive areas and environmentalists raise alarms about pollution and health risks

• Ongoing issues: The MC fined ₹24 lakh by the PCB for garbage dumping in Sarwari rivulet and no long-term site for waste management in sight

The urgency is growing. The town’s 11 municipal wards produce nearly 8 metric tonnes (MT) of waste daily. Matters worsened in July 2024 when the Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant at Rangri, Manali, stopped accepting waste from outside areas. Since then, the entire burden has shifted to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sarwari, turning it into a de facto dumping site.

At present, the Sarwari site houses a 3 MT composter for wet waste. Dry waste is trucked to a cement plant in Baga, Solan district. But frequent shutdowns at the Baga plant have led to major backlogs. “Most cement units only accept shredded RDF. We recently dispatched five truckloads, and the same contractor handling legacy waste at Pirdi is now transporting RDF to Delhi,” said MC Executive Officer Anubhav Sharma.

To ease the pressure, a shredder machine with approved specifications is set to be installed at the Sarwari site. This equipment will allow RDF to be processed and sent to multiple facilities, potentially reducing costs and clearing the backlog. Even so, the larger problem remains unresolved—there is no long-term site for Kullu’s growing waste.

Efforts to expand waste infrastructure have met strong opposition from residents and environmental groups. Locals oppose establishing any waste facility near residential or ecologically sensitive areas. Many fear the shredder plant will worsen pollution and pose health risks. Environmentalists have also raised alarms about waste collecting near the Sarwari rivulet, which could threaten local water sources.

The issue hit a flashpoint in March when a video went viral showing a JCB dumping garbage directly into the Sarwari rivulet. The resulting public outcry forced the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to issue a notice to the MC. Although the council initially denied responsibility, it later deployed manual labor and machinery to clear the trash. The PCB subsequently slapped a fine of Rs 24 lakh on the MC.

Despite these setbacks, officials claim progress. Around 51,000 MT of legacy waste has reportedly been cleared from the Pirdi site, though an estimated 1,500 MT remains. Waste dumping at Pirdi was officially halted in January 2019 after local protests and further orders from the NGT and the Supreme Court.