In Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath, heaps of garbage and plastic waste can be seen as devotees march for the Char Dham Yatra that began earlier this month.
There is a pile of garbage in Kedarnath. (Photo: ANI)
Plastic waste and garbage have piled up in the area as pilgrims flock to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra.
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Uttarakhand | Pile of plastic waste and garbage on the way to Kedarnath among the crowd of devotees gathered for Char Dham Yatra pic.twitter.com/l6th87mxD9
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) 22 May 2022
“The way plastic waste has accumulated at a sensitive place like Kedarnath, it is dangerous for our ecology. It will cause erosion which can lead to landslides. We should keep in mind the tragedy of 2013 and be careful,” Prof M S Negi, head of the Geography department at Garhwal Central University was quoted as saying by ANI news agency.
Prof MC Nautiyal, Director, High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre, said, “The influx of tourists has increased manifold, due to which plastic waste has increased as we do not have proper sanitation facilities. This has affected the natural flora. Found. Also extinct.”
Char Dham Yatra
The Hindu pilgrimage Char Dham Yatra began on May 3 this year. While it was a minor case due to COVID-19 for the last two years, this year the yatra started on a full scale. The number of devotees visiting the temple has increased manifold.
The Yatra began on May 3 with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri portals for devotees on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The doors of Kedarnath opened on 6th May and Badrinath on 8th May.