Netizens demand complete ban on plastic As Char Dham pilgrims turn Kedarnath into garbage dump

With a large number of pilgrims taking part in the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, the religious trail leading to Kedarnath has turned into a mounting pile of garbage.

In the visuals shared by sources of the path, heaps of plastic waste and garbage piles can be seen, along the line of tents set up for tourists, upon the stretch leading to Kedarnath. 

The disturbing visuals have raised the concerns of not just environmentalists, but have also miffed the general public. 

Experts warned of serious environmental threats, like the extinction of exotic herbs, if immediate steps are not being taken to tackle the problem of littering.

Professor MC Nautiya, director of the Higher Plant Himalayan Research Institute (HAPREC), who has researched the climate change and herbs of the high Himalayan regions, observed that the tourist inflow has risen manifold due to which plastic garbage has increased as there are no proper sanitation facilities in place.

According to Professor MS Negi Head, Department of Geography, Garhwal Central University, the way plastic garbage has piled up in a sensitive place like Kedarnath is hazardous for the ecology.

The pictures of the beautiful hills in Uttarakhand have also rung alarm bells in the general public, who took to Twitter to demand a complete ban on plastic and a proper sanitation and garbage disposal facility from the government.

The Char Dham Yatra was kept closed for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, the yatra was started again on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

As per media reports, over eight lakh pilgrims have undertaken the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand since it started on May 3.