In Himachal Pradesh, lockdown keeps out 3,000 tonnes of ‘tourist trash’

MANALI: The lockdown has prevented tourist resorts and trekking routes of Himachal Pradesh from getting over 3,000 tonnes of garbage left behind by tourists every year. If ban on tourism continues till June end, another 3,000 tonne extra garbage would have been avoided.
The major tourist destinations like Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie gets nearly 150 tonnes of garbage every day during peak tourist season, and 40 to 60 tonnes in lean season.
Manali, which gets the most number of tourists, generates nearly 30 to 40 tonnes of waste every day during peak season from mid-May to June end. The town on its own generates nearly 10 tonnes of garbage daily. According to officials, state capital Shimla generates 60 to 90 tonnes of garbage every day. Dharamshala and Dalhousie generate about 20 tonne and 3 tonne garbage every day, but the production increases drastically in tourist season.
April gets moderate tourists traffic, while May and June are peak tourist season in Himachal Pradesh, when lakhs of tourists head to the state to get respite from scorching heat. The state generates maximum garbage during these two months. The garbage generation in all cities and towns has decreased even below the normal quantity during the lockdown period.
Manali Municipal Council executive officer Narain Verma said, “Manali is generating only 10% of the garbage that it usually produces in these days. Our waste-to-energy plant is in the last stage where the final works have been delayed due to the pandemic as some machines had to come from abroad. At present, we are making refuse-derived fuel (RDF) of the trash and sending it to a cement factory for disposal.”
Over 30 lakh tourists visit the state during peak summer season alone. This is the time when hotels, sightseeing places, market areas, streets and trekking routes are clogged with trash. Not only towns and tourist places, but the trekking trails, camping sites and base camps of the peaks also get the huge amount of trash. The rivers and streams, which used to witness swimming bottles and plastic trash due to tourism, are clean these days. Most of the garbage treatment facilities of the tourist places give up during this time.