New Delhi : As the first light touches the Himalayan ranges, life awakens across the mountains, and so does the effort to keep them clean. In hill towns, sanitation workers navigate narrow pathways to collect household waste, while students on school campuses practice routine waste segregation. Pilgrimage sites, too, have designated collection points for visitors, reflecting a growing emphasis on structured waste management in the region.
The Himalayan terrain, seasonal tourism, and pilgrimage activities present unique challenges, demanding locally adapted and decentralised solutions. In response, governments at all levels have strengthened waste management under Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0, focusing on source segregation, scientific processing, remediation of legacy dumpsites, and active citizen and institutional participation.
At Kedarnath, a key pilgrimage destination in Uttarakhand, thousands of devotees arrive seasonally, requiring efficient plastic waste management. To address this, the state government launched a Digital Deposit Refund System (DRS) in May 2022 in collaboration with Recykal.
Under the system, plastic bottles and multilayered plastic (MLP) items are tagged with Unique Serialised Identification (USI) QR codes, and a refundable deposit of ₹10 is collected. Pilgrims can return used items at designated points or at two Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) installed at Gaurikund and the Kedarnath temple, with deposits refunded digitally via UPI.
Collected plastic waste is processed through Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), promoting responsible disposal practices and supporting organised plastic waste management during the pilgrimage season.