Heaps of garbage dumped on the banks of Mandakini river. File
| Photo Credit: K. R. Deepak
Kedarnath Dham generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste in just five months from April to August 2026. This figure is more than two and a half times the waste collected during the entire pilgrimage season the previous year.
The Nagar Panchayat provided this information in response to a query raised by Amit Gupta, an RTI activist from Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The waste generated in just the first five months of this year far exceeds the total waste produced in any single year over the preceding three years.
According to the Nagar Panchayat, waste generation in Kedarnath stood at 32.58 metric tonnes in 2023, 26.10 metric tonnes in 2024, and 21.40 metric tonnes in 2025. In contrast, the facility has already generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste between April and August 2026 alone.
The waste generated in just five months of 2026 is approximately 54% higher than the total for 2023, about 93% higher than 2024, and about 135% higher than 2025. The Nagar Panchayat’s data showed that 1.7 metric tonnes of waste were generated in April, rising to 16.3 metric tonnes in May. Waste generation stood at 11.5 metric tonnes in June, 10.5 metric tonnes in July, and 10.3 metric tonnes in August.
The Nagar Panchayat also provided data regarding plastic waste. The data showed that Kedarnath has generated approximately 20 metric tonnes of plastic waste so far in 2026; of this, 18.5 metric tonnes (92.5%) have been processed, while about 1.5 metric tonnes remain.
The Nagar Panchayat said Kedarnath’s landfill capacity is 30,000 square feet, with 28,000 square feet remaining. The body also noted that four landfills have been constructed in Kedarnath over the past five years.
The RTI activist said reliance on landfills amid rising waste levels raises significant concerns regarding the Himalayan environment — particularly given the large number of pilgrims and tourists visiting this highly sensitive region annually.
News in Frames | The drying naulas of Uttarakhand
Quenching their thirst: Schoolchildren collect water from an outlet at the Ranidhara naula in Almora district in Uttarakhand.
Intricate work: A naula, designed with masonry walls to filter and collect water from the earth, in Mangrao village of Nainital.
Stark stones: The stone storage structure in a naula lies dry in Mangrao village. Steps to protect the springs are the need of the hour.
Royal lineage: A storage structure at the Ranidhara naula in Almora. Constructed by the Chand dynasty rulers, the naula was once used by women from the royal families.
Quirky design: A person collects dhara water from the mouth of a sculpture in Nainital district.
Storied stream: Water from a dhara flows through a pipe against the backdrop of decorative tiles with religious motifs in Lohali village, Nainital.
Slippery slope: Redevelopment on mountainsides, slope instability and rapid climate change are threatening the course of natural water flow.
Abandoned tanks: Plastic bottles and other waste materials inside a storage unit, which collects water from a dhara in Nainital.
Calm surface: The Nainital Lake, which gets water from the dhoros and surface run-off from the surrounding mountains.
Lonely valley: A naula built along the hill slopes in Mangrao village of Nainital. Once revered as a water temple, the structure now stands as a reminder of human connection with nature.
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So far this year, approximately 1.5 million pilgrims have visited Kedarnath. Mr. Gupta said these figures, revealed through an RTI enquiry, highlight the mounting pressure on Kedarnath’s waste management systems.
He said, “The generation of waste in Kedarnath over just five months, far exceeding the volume produced during entire pilgrimage seasons in previous years, poses a grave threat to our environment. We ourselves are primarily responsible for turning a sacred and ecologically sensitive place like Kedarnath into a dumping ground.”
Published – September 25, 2026 11:06 am IST
