DEHRADUN: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought responses from the Uttarakhand government and several central and state agencies over alleged lapses in sewage treatment, drainage and solid-waste management along the Sonprayag-Kedarnath pilgrimage route.
Hearing an application filed on September 22 by Noida-based environmental RTI activist Amit Gupta, the tribunal issued notices on Tuesday to the Central Pollution Control Board, Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Rudraprayag District Magistrate, state Chief Secretary and National Mission for Clean Ganga.
The NGT observed that the application raised important questions about compliance with environmental standards. The matter will be heard next on December 17. The tribunal has not made a final finding on the allegations.
The application questions whether sewage treatment facilities at Kedarnath and Gaurikund can handle the waste generated during the peak pilgrimage season. According to the plea, Kedarnath has a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 600 kilolitres per day, planned to serve around 5,000 permanent residents and up to 20,000 pilgrims temporarily.
“That capacity is not sufficient to treat the sewage generated during peak pilgrimage days,” Gupta told TNIE. “Kedarnath needs a treatment plant with a capacity of at least 1,000 kilolitres per day. The 200-kilolitre-per-day plant at Gaurikund is also inadequate for current requirements.”
The application also alleges that some drains are not connected to the sewer network, raising concerns about the disposal of inadequately treated wastewater. It further flags shortcomings in solid-waste management.
Gupta said infrastructure requirements should account for the seasonal influx of pilgrims rather than only the permanent population.
“Assessing the actual need for treatment capacity must take into account the pilgrims arriving each day during the yatra, as well as waste generated by local businesses, accommodation facilities and other activities,” he said.
Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said the tribunal’s order needed to be examined in detail. The position regarding the allegations and existing facilities would become clearer after the state government and other agencies submit their responses.
“Faith and environmental protection must go hand in hand at Kedarnath,” Gupta said. “The success of the pilgrimage should not be measured only by the number of devotees or the facilities provided, but also by how well the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, water sources and natural cleanliness are protected.”