SURENDRA PAL SINGH/Uttarkashi
Questions are being raised about the continued apathy of the local authorities towards proper garbage disposal with the old alternative route near the Tambakhani tunnel being turned into an open dumping zone for garbage by the Uttarkashi municipal council. Locals state that water carries toxics from the heaps of garbage to the sacred Bhagirathi down the mountain slope even as numerous people using the route suffer from the effects of heaps of garbage dumped in the open.
The sides of the route used daily by school students, pilgrims and local residents are covered in non-biodegradable and rotting wet waste along with construction debris. The leachate from the garbage ends up in the Bhagirathi. This seepage of toxics from the garbage increases considerably when it rains, not only polluting the Bhagirathi but also spreading a stench in nearby areas. Locals state that such open dumping of garbage has been continuing for some years now with municipal vehicles dumping garbage collected in the city at this spot on a daily basis. Proper scientific disposal of the garbage and even the basic rules are being ignored, to the detriment of public health and the environment, the local state.
Social worker Dinesh Panwar said that it is shameful that the municipality has turned the roadside near the sensitive Tambakhani tunnel near the Bhagirathi into an open garbage dumping zone. The leachate from these heaps of garbage ends up in the Bhagirathi which not only damages the environment but also affects the religious sentiments of the public, he said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad district general secretary Kirti Singh Mahar opined that this is an assault on the sanctity of the holy Bhagirathi river. “The Ganga river is a centre of faith for millions of Hindus but it has been turned into a means of disposing of the city’s garbage in Uttarkashi. The municipal council and contractors are damaging the environment and identity of the city. The VHP will take to the roads if this open dumping zone is not shut down soon,” he said.
The municipal council chairman Bhupendra Singh Chauhan said that a site has been identified at Tiloth for the city’s solid waste management. Work is under progress at this site and it will take about six months for this site to be ready for the intended purpose. All the garbage from the city will be disposed of at this site in the future, he added.
