Uttarakhand

• 16 Nov 2024

Untreated Waste in Landfills of Kedarnath

Why in News?

Environmentalists are raising concerns as authorities continue to dump tonnes of untreated waste at landfill sites around the eco-sensitive Himalayan temple of Kedarnath.

Key Points

• Garbage Dumping in Kedarnath:
  • It was revealed that 49.18 tonnes of unprocessed garbage were dumped at two landfill sites near Kedarnath between 2022 and 2024.
  • Untreated waste generation showed an upward trend, 13.2 tonnes in 2022, 18.48 tonnes in 2023, and 17.5 tonnes so far in 2024.
• Environmental Concerns:
  • Activists criticized the inadequate garbage management system, emphasizing that the eco-sensitive Kedarnath region lacks proper waste treatment facilities.
    • The temple, located at 12,000 feet amid glaciers, requires immediate waste management reforms to preserve the fragile ecosystem.
  • The two landfill sites near Kedarnath are nearing capacity and continued negligence could lead to another tragedy similar to the 2013 disaster in the region.
• Government and Legal Oversight:
  • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) responded to complaints, directing authorities to establish sewage treatment plants in Kedarnath.
    • The NMCG noted that untreated waste from Kedarnath is polluting the Mandakini River, a Ganga tributary, and instructed the Rudraprayag district administration to act.

Eco-Sensitive Zones

• Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India under Environment Protection Act 1986.
  • In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even areas beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.
• The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.