Conclusion of Kanwar Yatra leaves behind 30,000 mt ton garbage in Haridwar

After a record 40 million Shiva worshippers visited the holy city for the yearly Kanwar Yatra to harvest the Ganga waters, authorities in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar were working extra hard to clear nearly 30,000 tonnes of garbage that had accumulated there. A 42-km length of Kanwar from Har-ki-Pauri was covered in garbage, including the Ganga Ghats, marketplaces, parking spaces, and highways. At least 50% of the waste left behind was plastic. A similar quantity of garbage was also generated in last year’s yatra.

The sacred city may take weeks to completely clean, according to the authorities, who said they were working to remove the trash. Dayanand Saraswati, the municipal town commissioner, reported that the cleanup of the trash and debris started on Saturday. “The Ganga ghats, roads, bridges, parking spaces, and a temporary bus stop are being cleaned continuously. In order to complete the time-sensitive cleaning, we have boosted the workforce to 600. In the mela area, we have also begun fogging and spraying insecticides, according to Saraswati.

According to officials, Haridwar typically produces 200–300 metric tonnes of garbage each day, but during the Kanwar Yatra and other festivities, this number rises to 500–2000 metric tonnes. Every year, millions of worshippers travel on the Kanwar Yatra to collect Ganga’s sacred waters from Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Gomukh. They carry the water on their shoulders to offer it at local Shiva temples.

According to officials, a seven-day rainstorm during the Kanwar Yatra also had an impact on waste disposal and collection. The Haridwar Municipal Corporation has ordered 40 more trash-transporting vehicles, bringing the total to 140. Hundreds of police officers and senior police superintendent Ajay Singh conducted a cleaning effort at Haridwar’s Vishnu Ghat.

Mahamandaleshwar Hari Chetnanand Maharaj of Udasin Akhada said a pilgrimage is not considered totally successful if the holy Ganga, ghats, or other places of worship are polluted. He added, “In Vedic scriptures even staying at Har-ki-Pauri or near revered shrines is not considered appropriate as the sanctity of such holy places gets affected. Devotees should ensure they do not commit any such unreligious act.” Activist Anoop Nautiyal also requested a plan to ensure that the millions of devotees who visit the holy cities each year, do not cause pollution again near the sacred river