Aftermath of Char Dham Yatra: Heaps of garbage on stretch leading to Kedarnath

The director of the Higher Plant Himalayan Research Institute (HAPREC), Professor MC Nautiyal attributed the garbage collection to absence of proper sanitation facilities.

Dehradun: With a large number of pilgrims taking part in the ongoing Char Dham Yatra, experts have warned of a serious environmental threat amid threat to the state's exotic herbs which are facing extinction. Further, with an increase in tourism activities in the state, heaps of plastic waste and garbage have been seen piled up on the stretch leading to Kedarnath, a prominent place of worship in the yatra.

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The director of the Higher Plant Himalayan Research Institute (HAPREC), Professor MC Nautiyal, who has researched the climate change and herbs of the high Himalayan regions, said, "Over the past several days, Kedarnath is witnessing an increasing human activity. At the same time, the garbage heap in the Kedarnath area is destroying the valuable herbs here. Among the prominent herbs, several of them have gone extinct here, including Jatamasi, Atish, Barmala, Kakoli and other herbs. All this is because of severe climate change coupled up with increasing human activities in the region."

Uttarakhand | Heaps of plastic waste & garbage pile up on the stretch leading to Kedarnath as devotees throng for Char Dham Yatra pic.twitter.com/l6th87mxD9

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 22, 2022