Whenever a living being visits a place, it leaves some sort of identification marks like footprints, or garbage in the case of humans. Remember when the government eased covid restrictions, how people turned Himachal into a dump yard with trails of garbage littered all over?
Yet again, some humans have given a very ‘stinking’ example of their negligence by littering Uttarakhand’s Char Dham Yatra sites with plastic and other similar garbage after the holy sites were opened to the public after a two-year hiatus.
The stretch leading to Kedarnath, one of the four Char Dham Yatra sites, turned into a mounting pile of garbage as devotees visited in huge numbers.
The visuals of ice-capped mountains ‘decorated’ with kilometer-long garbage trails are shocking.
Uttarakhand | Heaps of plastic waste & garbage pile up on the stretch leading to Kedarnath as devotees throng for Char Dham Yatra pic.twitter.com/l6th87mxD9
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 22, 2022
Prof MS Negi Head, Department of Geography, Garhwal Central University said that the way plastic garbage has piled up in a sensitive place like Kedarnath is hazardous for our ecology. “It’ll lead to erosion which can cause landslides. We must keep in mind the tragedy of 2013 & remain careful.”
The way plastic garbage has piled up in a sensitive place like Kedarnath is hazardous for our ecology. It’ll lead to erosion which can cause landslides. We must keep in mind the tragedy of 2013 & remain careful:Prof MS Negi Head, Department of Geography,Garhwal Central University pic.twitter.com/AxDoUSoYja
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 22, 2022
“The tourist inflow has risen manifold due to which plastic garbage has increased as we don’t have proper sanitation facilities. This has affected the natural vegetation. Medicinal plants are getting extinct as well,” added Prof. MC Nautiyal, Director, HAPPRC.
The tourist inflow has risen manifold due to which plastic garbage has increased as we don’t have proper sanitation facilities. This has affected the natural vegetation. Medicinal plants are getting extinct as well:Prof. MC Nautiyal, Director, HAPPRC pic.twitter.com/ElPTlaCP8l
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 22, 2022
People online were irked by such irresponsible behavior of tourists. Some also suggested measures to curb this nuisance.
Biggest danger to humanity. Almost all ideas have failed. Do you have any ideas? https://t.co/bWdTRUO2RI
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) May 23, 2022
Time to start charging a Rs 100 cleanliness fee from every pilgrim. https://t.co/Auaj78Ydsn
— Shreya Dhoundial (@shreyadhoundial) May 23, 2022
Shameful. Absolutely shameful. https://t.co/Mg4U9lCb1T
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) May 22, 2022
This 1 of the main reasons why we are globally frowned upon. What's the point of all infrastructure in the world (which we also lack) when we cant even considerately dispose of our trash. All tourists spots within India face this @tourismgoi, including Goa @TourismGoa #littering https://t.co/NcJofs09Lt
— Joshua Fernandes #savemollem (@joshuafdes7) May 23, 2022
One of the best decisions @Dev_Fadnavis ji had taken in MH was to ban plastics. Whiny idiots had cried a lot but frankly our cities are cleaner. Drainages not getting blocked and life is on.
U should hit 👇🏼 ppl with pellet guns. This is also a type of terrorism https://t.co/yxW236oerD
— Ashu (@muglikar_) May 23, 2022
Govt can only provide world class facilities, roads etc , but civic sense, appropriate public behaviour etc is our responsibility & we usually disappoint
Shame on these filthy people who can't even keep their Devbhoomi clean https://t.co/WPNxwkHHZb
— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) May 22, 2022
There's a 30 vehicle per day limit at Rohtang pass.
Something like that needs to be implemented for Char dham and other pristine places before we destroy them forever… https://t.co/pmImXUe6A6
— Ankit Lal 🏹 (@AnkitLal) May 22, 2022
Lol at the people who claim our cities are unclean because we are poor. There is some cultural sickness. https://t.co/aVbTz1BtKo
— Hindu Sherni Respecter (@needwhitepills) May 22, 2022
Extremely irresponsible behaviour https://t.co/iGranyECCB
— Abhinav Prakash (@Abhina_Prakash) May 22, 2022
Terribly sad ! Govt must take strict actions against culprits , some of Eco sensitive religious places aren’t picnic spots to pollute like this https://t.co/Rar9NKUJ1g
— Siddarth Pai (@siddarthpaim) May 23, 2022
How about fining the litterbugs Rs 5000 and banning them from the Kedarnath Yatra for ten years? https://t.co/uid36oORBz
— Abhinav Agarwal (@AbhinavAgarwal) May 23, 2022
– Close Kedarnath Yatra for 1 year
– Clean all the trash
– Open it slowly at 10% capacity with strict regulations. All visitors given mandatory trash bags, which they’re supposed to carry with them throughout the whole journey. They collect their own trash & submit at end. https://t.co/VlYtrpbxzQ
— Dhruv Rathee 🇮🇳 (@dhruv_rathee) May 22, 2022
Atrocious & abhorrent that tourists visiting holy places do not even care for the basic ecology of their religious places. They should know that Lord Shiva's wrath will follow them.https://t.co/0CEFpmNIe2
— Abhishek Singhvi (@DrAMSinghvi) May 22, 2022
They worship mountains like they worship ganga and women. All of them are in miserable condition. https://t.co/hOsDpIwaI9
— Kiki ا (@UrbanXpat) May 22, 2022
It hardly takes any effort to keep our garbage with us and discard them at the proper outlet. This is basic civic sense. People who think it’s okay to throw even a toffee wrapper on the streets are responsible for ruining the beauty of our country.