DEHRADUN: In Uttarakhand, the Joshimath Municipality has successfully transformed the negligent disposal of plastic waste left by pilgrims on the Char Dham pilgrimage route into a lucrative venture. The municipality has collected over three tons of plastic waste from the pilgrimage route in recent days, generating a revenue of Rs 1.2 crore through its recycling efforts.
From an environmental conservation perspective, this initiative has not only mitigated pollution but also significantly bolstered the municipality’s income. The majority of the collected waste consists of discarded mineral water and cold drink bottles left by pilgrims and tourists along the roadside.
Pritam Singh Negi, the executive officer of the Gopeshwar Municipal Corporation, explained to TNIE, “This plastic waste is collected from areas such as Bhimtalla, Khetrapal, Kotiya Sain, and other locations along the Badrinath route.” He further added, “Villages along the Kedarnath route, including Gangol, Sagar, Mandal, Chopta, and Rudranath, are also involved, where tourists frequently discard empty bottles. The municipality compresses this plastic waste into bricks and then sells them.”
The Gopeshwar Municipal Corporation is responsible for cleaning operations from Joshimath to Pandukeshwar, a key stop on the Badrinath pilgrimage route, as well as the Hemkund Sahib and Valley of Flowers routes.
According to data from the Uttarakhand Tourism Department’s Yatra division, as of Friday, 26.5 lakh pilgrims have completed the Char Dham pilgrimage. Pradeep Chauhan, a spokesperson for the Yatra department, stated, “By Friday evening, over 950,000 pilgrims had visited Kedarnath Dham, and more than 700,000 had visited Badrinath Dham.”
Environmental activist Chandan Nayal emphasized, “In addition to generating revenue from recycling plastic waste, a significant challenge remains in preserving the environment, as an average of 75,000 pilgrims visit Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib daily.”