DEHRADUN: Residents of Haldwani city performed Yoga Asanas in dumping ground surrounded by garbage heaps on International Yoga Day in Haldwani in Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
This was in protest against dumping garbage in vicinity of Indira Nagar and Banbhulpura localities of Haldwani city.
Locals performed asanas on mounds of garbage which can range anywhere between 60-65 lakh tonnes in the said dumping ground.
Sartaj Alam, a resident of the city who was one of the Yoga performers at the garbage mound told The New Indian Express, "We have been protesting dumping of garbage in the locality for years now. Solid waste from Nainital, Ramnagar and Haldwani is dumped by local municipal bodies at the same spot causing various health issues of skin, lung and heart endangering lives of over 12,000 people. Our Prime Minister talks about 'Swacch Bharat' and this is what we get from the officials of Uttrakhand."
According to the residents, the waste also includes medical waste being dumped without following any guidelines.
Interestingly, Uttarakhand High Court in year 2018 had issues a series of directions to address the problem of unscientific disposal of medical waste into the rivers and rivulets of the hill state.
The medical waste being dumped in the area violates at least four laws- The Forest Conservation Act 1980, The Environment Protection Act 1986, The Public Liability Act 1991, and Biological Diversity Act 2002.
We have been protesting from time to time and given only empty assurances from the district administration and local municipal officials, alleged the residents.
Jogender Rautela, mayor of Haldwani-Kathgodam Municipal Corporation who won elections in 2018 and promised to address the issue said, "The work is in progress and we will have a suitable solution soon."