Barcodes under scrutiny as plastic litter mars Uttarakhand’s Yamunotri

UTTARKASHI: Questions are being raised about effectiveness of barcode system introduced for plastic water bottles at Yamunotri Dham, as large numbers of empty bottles with barcodes are still seen littering the shrine area and trekking routes even after last Char Dham Yatra.The Rs 10 barcode system was introduced to curb plastic waste and protect fragile Himalayan environment during the pilgrimage. Under the arrangement, shopkeepers were required to affix barcodes on plastic water bottles and charge pilgrims additional Rs 10, which would be refunded once empty bottles were returned. Residents and shopkeepers claimed they faced pressure to purchase barcodes during the pilgrimage season, and the mechanism for collecting empty bottles remained largely ineffective. Due to the limited number of collection centres, many pilgrims were unable to return bottles and eventually discarded them. Barkot deputy DM Brijesh Tiwari said area will be cleaned soon.