In the shadow of the snow-capped Himalayas, where millions seek spiritual solace at one of Hinduism's holiest shrines, a mounting crisis is unfolding: Kedarnath is drowning in its own garbage.
During the 2025 Yatra season, a staggering 21.4 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste was generated at the Kedarnath shrine -- a 22% jump from the previous year. Yet, nearly 60% of it was simply dumped, unprocessed, threatening the fragile ecosystem of this UNESCO-recognised pilgrimage site.
Breaking down the 2025 data reveals clear seasonal peaks. May recorded 4.8 MT, driven by the opening rush of the Yatra. This was followed by an even busier June, which saw the season's peak of 5.6 MT, coinciding with summer vacations. Volumes declined to 3.6 MT in July, followed by lower figures in the succeeding months: 1.1 MT in August, 1.2 MT in September, and 1.5 MT in October.
The data, disclosed by the Nagar Panchayat Kedarnath in response to queries filed by environmentalist Amit Gupta, paints a grim picture of waste management failures despite infrastructure investments. Of the 21.4 MT produced between May and October 2025, only 8.7 MT (about 40 per cent) was processed, leaving a massive 12.7 MT to pile up in landfills or open dumps near the base camp. This marks the highest waste generation in five years, underscoring how the site's soaring popularity is outpacing conservation efforts.
By the season's end, the unprocessed heap had ballooned to a weight equivalent to about 2,500 adult elephants. Ironically, this surge occurred despite a newly operational 5-tonnes-per-day (TPD) Material Recovery Facility (MRF). While touted as a game-changer, processing rates improved only marginally, with officials citing operational hurdles. Meanwhile, a Rs 3.13 crore proposal for wet waste disposal machines remains pending approval, leaving the site reliant on basic landfills, including a new 1,500-foot capacity dump near the base camp.
A Sacred Site Under Siege
Kedarnath, perched at 3,583 meters in Uttarakhand's Garhwal Himalayas, is a cornerstone of the revered Char Dham Yatra. In recent years, improved roads, helicopter services, and aggressive tourism promotion have transformed this remote outpost into a mass pilgrimage hub.
The boom is undeniable. In 2024, the Char Dham circuit welcomed over 4.8 million pilgrims. By 2025, the Yatra injected Rs 300 crore into Uttarakhand's economy in just the first 48 days. This included significant revenue from heli-services (Rs 11 crore) and mule transport (Rs 60 crore). However, this economic windfall is a double-edged sword. Kedarnath's ecosystem is highly vulnerable to climate change and pollution; waste—primarily plastic and food scraps—now leaches into the Mandakini River, risking contamination downstream.
A Call for Urgent Reform
From an environmental lens, the crisis is alarming. Untreated waste fosters landslides, pollutes water sources, and endangers wildlife in this biodiversity hotspot. A first-of-its-kind carrying capacity survey completed in November 2025 recommends capping visitors at 13,111 per day—a limit currently routinely breached.
Government perspectives emphasise progress, noting that fines for littering raked in Rs 4.17 lakh in early 2025. But critics say it is too little, too late. With pilgrim numbers projected to hit 6 million for the Char Dham by year's end, sustainable practices like mandatory eco-bags and digital crowd management are essential. As the 2026 Yatra looms, the question remains: Will devotion finally align with preservation?
