Govt braces up for pollution-free Amarnath yatra, environmentalists’ concerns remain

AVINAV VERMA. Updated: 5/23/2019 7:50:02 AM

JAMMU: Amid criticism from environmentalist for its failure to reduce pollution, the state authorities have braced up for annual pilgrimage for Amarnath cave shrine, focusing to protect environment and reduce pollution level, even as the environmentalists are not expecting much from the authorities this time too.

The state government has claimed that stern measures have been taken to reduce pollution levels and to ensure hygienic food being served to devotees.

“133 langar organizers were given permission. We have taken an undertaking from them to maintain basic hygiene. If any langar organizers will violate guidelines they would be blacklisted. The camp officers regularly monitor them,” Additional Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Amarnath Yatra Shrine Board (SMYSB), Anup Kumar Soni told The News Now.

“Apart from that the colored dustbins has been installed across the track. One of the best qualities MBBR sewerage treatment plant have been installed for disposing of liquid waste,” he said.

He said that plastic bottle catcher and plastic bottle disposer have also been installed. He added the contractors have been engaged for the cleanliness of track.

“Apart from promotion of pilgrimage, the tourism department installed mobile toilets within in the distance of 30 Kilometers along National Highway,” Director Tourism, O P Baghat told The News Now.

This year's Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 1 and will end on August 15. Over 2.85 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine in 2018.

On the contrary, the environmentalists claim the government has failed to take stern measures to protect environment and ensure pollution free pilgrimage.

“The government has failed to issue proper guidelines for proper Solid Waste Management and other types of pollution,” Bushan Parimoo, a well-known environmentalist, said.

“During Yatra, scores of people serve free food (langar) to pilgrims as part of charity. But the organizers are compelled to dump waste foods in rivers or alongside road due to in ability of guidelines for Solid Waste management,” he said.

“It was found that they violate waste disposal norms, leading to visible ecological degradation along the route,” he added.

“If the organizers spend lakh of rupees for the charity, they are willing to adopt waste disposal practices measures but government has failed to show them the way,” he said.

“In the base camp Bagwati Nagar, they marked an area with boundary walls for dumping food waste but later on, they shifted the same in open area, which causes pollution,” he said.

“The three sewerage plant have been setup near base camp but only one is functional, which is incapable for liquid waste,” he added.
Another environmentalist, Abdul Majid Attar said that the government has failed to curb pollution.
“Every kind of pollution has been visible on tracks of Amarnath Yatra. The vegetation in the holy Sheshanag Lake is evidence that langar organizers dump waste food in the lake,” he added.



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