Gangotri waste plant remains shut days after yatra begins

Uttarkashi: Nearly two weeks after the start of the Gangotri Dham pilgrimage, a high-tech waste disposal plant within the shrine area remains non-operational.With the facility shut, waste is currently being managed manually, said Jayanand Semwal, executive officer of the Gangotri Nagar Panchayat.The plant’s operations were halted in June last year following complaints of environmental pollution. A joint inspection by the Central and state pollution control boards found irregularities, after which the facility was closed. Officials had then said efforts would be made to resume operations before the pilgrimage season.The solid waste management plant, set up in 2023 under the Centre’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive scheme at a cost of about Rs 2.25 crore, is located at Akharot Khadar near Gangotri.As the facility falls within the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone and initially lacked a no-objection certificate from the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, its operational status remained uncertain. It was later handed over to the Gangotri Nagar Panchayat, and permission for operation was granted by the state-level monitoring committee.However, a joint inspection in June 2023 found that the tourism department had not obtained mandatory consents and authorisations related to water and air pollution. Officials also found no logbook to record the quantity of waste processed, following which operations were suspended.The plant was operational during last year’s yatra season from April to June. Equipped with a “Black Hole” machine using plasma pyrolysis technology, it converts waste into ash at high temperatures while treating harmful gases.The prolonged closure has raised concerns over delays in securing clearances despite the expenditure, and that machinery may deteriorate if it remains unused.District magistrate Prashant Arya said efforts are underway to resume operations. “A proposal is being prepared to make the plant functional on the lines of a similar facility in the Yamuna Valley,” he said.