Garbage buried in Kasol forest after viral video of waste triggers outrage

India Today

4 days ago

The waste management crisis near the wildlife sanctuary area of Kasol in Himachal Pradesh sparked heated debate recently after a video of widespread litter went viral. Authorities responded by deploying JCBs and other machinery to clear the garbage. However, the waste was hastily buried by digging pits nearly 2 km inside the forest, an act that blatantly violates environmental laws and regulations.advertisementThe video showed garbage and waste from the past eight months -- originating from Kullu, Kasol, and nearby villages, including from hotels and residential areas -- lying openly dumped in the middle of the Parvati Valley forest, a popular international tourist destination.In response to the public outcry, the Special Area Development Authority (SADA), led by local Congress MLA Sunder Thakur, deployed tippers and JCB machines to the site. However, instead of treating the waste, it was removed from its original location and dumped deep within a demarcated wildlife sanctuary zone.
India Today's ground report revealed a significant disconnect between official claims of cleanliness and the reality on the ground. The truck and JCB operators were seen fleeing the scene upon the arrival of camera crews, with one driver admitting to dumping waste on the instructions of 'Pradhan Tehal Singh' and covering it with soil.advertisementAman Sood, a local activist and hotel owner, criticised the government's negligence, stating that despite SADA collecting Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per month from every hotel owner for waste management, they have failed to provide a viable solution.He pointed out that dumping began even before an official site was established, and authorities waited for months for the waste to accumulate to this extent before resorting to burying it. "This is clear negligence by the government. There are 400-500 hotels in Kasol itself waste in nature, but treatment and a way out of it is what is required. Dumping started even before the official dumping site was established. This area falls under SADA, which collects Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per month from every hotel owner for waste management. Despite collecting funds, they're only spreading pollution instead of managing it responsibly," Aman Sood said.BJP leader Nirotam Thakur threatened to file a complaint with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), noting the irony of city waste being dumped in the forest, unlike the usual practice of bringing forest waste into urban areas."We will file a complaint with the NGT (National Green Tribunal). Locals had earlier approached the DC (District Commissioner), but they were dismissed. Usually, people bring forest waste into the city, here in Kasol, it's the opposite: city waste is being dumped in the heart of the forest," Thakur added. However, the Development Authority Chairman and local MLA Thakur, when contacted, attributed the delay to waiting for permission for a dumping site and claimed to have exchanged land with the Rural Development Department for this purpose."We got delayed because we were waiting for permission for a dumping site. We have exchanged land with the Rural Development Department, and now we will develop a dumping site there. We've also received MRF (Material Recovery Facility) approval to store the waste temporarily in the jungle," he said, also asking, 'Where else could we take our waste?"Despite SADA's responsibility for waste treatment and management, funded by a "green/SADA tax" of Rs 300 per vehicle entering Kasol and monthly fees from hotels and shops, it has failed to establish a proper dumping site.Environmentalists pointed out that the practice of openly accumulating waste for months and then burying it inside a wildlife sanctuary under public scrutiny is a clear violation of wildlife conservation, environmental protection, and waste management norms.Must Watch