The annual Kanwar Yatra has ended in Uttarakhand, but the massive pilgrimage has left behind a serious waste-management challenge in Haridwar.
Around 4.8 crore Kanwariyas reportedly visited Haridwar during Sawan to collect holy Ganga water before returning to their hometowns after Shivratri. With the pilgrims gone, large quantities of discarded clothes, plastic bottles, slippers, and Kanwar structures have been left across the city’s ghats, roads and parking areas.
According to authorities, around 7,000 tonnes of garbage has accumulated in Haridwar following the Yatra.
The condition at Har Ki Pauri, one of Haridwar’s most prominent ghats, has also raised concerns. Visuals circulating online showed piles of waste and discarded items at the site. Bottles reportedly filled with urine were also found in changing rooms, with sanitation workers seen removing the waste using shovels.
Officials Launch Special Cleanliness Campaign
Haridwar Municipal Corporation and the district administration have launched a special cleanliness campaign to deal with the waste generated during the pilgrimage.
Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar said sanitation teams worked through the night after Shivratri to clean the ghats, roads and parking areas.
“Following Shivratri yesterday, all our teams worked through the night to clean the ghats, as well as all parking areas and roads,” Kumar said.
The special campaign is scheduled to continue until August 18. Around 1,000 additional sanitation workers have reportedly been brought in, while more than 80 vehicles are being used to transport the collected waste.
Authorities are also using drone cameras to identify garbage hotspots and direct cleaning teams to areas requiring immediate attention. Trials of smart dustbins that can alert authorities when they are full have also begun.
Waste Raises Environmental Concerns in Gangotri
The waste problem has not been limited to Haridwar.
Thousands of devotees also travelled to Gangotri in Uttarkashi, the source of the Ganga, during the pilgrimage season. Around 57,000 pilgrims reportedly visited the area.
After the Yatra, discarded clothes, plastic and other waste were found in the ecologically sensitive region. The concern is particularly serious because Gangotri is a designated plastic-free zone and forms part of the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
The Forest Department subsequently conducted a special cleanup operation and collected 57 sacks of waste for disposal.
Questions Over Cleanliness at Sacred Sites
The large amount of waste left after the Kanwar Yatra has triggered criticism from locals and environmental observers, who have questioned the impact of mass pilgrimages on sensitive religious and ecological sites.
One local described the situation as “unfortunate”, pointing to the contrast between pilgrims undertaking long journeys to collect water from the Ganga and leaving behind large quantities of waste at the same sacred river.
