Himachal's 'Return Your Trash' Scheme As Mountains Drown In Garbage

NDTV

3 days ago

Plastic bags and bottles strewn everywhere, animals scavenging on dumped solid waste - the disturbing site is not from a dumpsite but from a forest in Himachal Pradesh's Kasol. Several videos showing piles of garbage in Kasol's Parvati valley, with a murder of crows flying over the dump, are now trending on X, shining a spotlight on choking rivers and littered forests in the famous vacation spots up in the mountains.
The pristine Parvati Valley, which starts from the confluence of two rivers (Beas and Parvati) and leads to Malana - a village surrounded by steep cliffs and snow-capped mountains - near the famous hamlet Kasol, is now dotted with non-biodegradable waste. This is not just the story of Kasol or Parvati Valley, but the tourist-favourite valleys of Tirthan, Jibhi, Saing, Balichowki and Banjar are also drowning in trash.
And, in its latest effort to change that, Himachal Pradesh, which advertises itself as a "destination for all seasons and all reasons", has approved a scheme under which consumers will pay a refundable deposit above the price of a non-biodegradable product, which will be returned when the empty item is brought back. The Deposit Refund Scheme 2025 aims to effectively manage and reduce non-biodegradable waste, an official statement said.
The scheme will be implemented on a pilot basis and applicable to a wide range of packaging materials, such as glass bottles, plastic beverage containers, aluminium cans, liquid packaging, flexible plastic packaging and multilayered packages.
The scheme, which will first be launched on a trial basis in key tourist destinations, is to encourage tourists and vendors to take responsibility for the waste they generate, said Himachal Industries Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan.
He stressed that it is also a part of the state's broader effort to safeguard Himachal's fragile ecology. "Plastic and polythene are a major challenge in our hill regions. This refundable fee mechanism is a step toward behavioural change," Mr Chauhan said.
When asked how its effectiveness will be monitored, he said it will be done via QR codes. "Based on QR code scanning, the vendor will charge a nominal fee, and that will be refunded once the plastic pack is disposed of at the collection centre," he said.
As per reports, Shimla produces nearly 2,800 tons of solid waste while Manali - another tourist magnet - produces over 1,100 tons per month. During the inflow of tourist seasons, the number doubles.
Except for main cities like Shimla, many of the towns - which attract flocks of tourists for their serene beauty - don't have proper waste disposal systems. And, it leads to piles of garbage alongside roads, and clogged water sources.
The move, however, is not the state's first such action to save its havens of natural beauty. Recently, the state government announced that the use of 500 ml plastic bottles made Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) will be banned in all government programmes and hotels across Himachal Pradesh from June 1, 2025. The decision has been taken in view of the environmental damage caused by plastic waste, said Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena. Any violation of these provisions may invite fines ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 25,000 under the relevant laws and regulations, he said.
The Government of Himachal Pradesh enacted Himachal Pradesh Non- Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, in the year 1995. In 2009, it became the first state in India to ban plastic and polythene carry bags. And, since then, the state government has been making continuous efforts to reduce the plastic waste in the towns and rural areas of the state.
In 2018, the state announced the ban on the use of thermocol cutlery, including cups, plates, glasses and spoons.