Amarnath Yatra becomes the first pilgrimage to be a 'zero-waste yatra'

SRINAGAR: For the first time in the history of the Holy Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu and Kashmir Administration has ensured it to be a “zero-waste” pilgrimage. The Jammu and Kashmir government is making sure that the pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave shrine does not impact or affect the environment. More than 300 volunteers have been put to collect and process the waste produced around the routes of Amarnath. 

Around 10 tons of waste is produced every day along the Amarnath Yatra route from both the base camps. And this time, the government has made sure that the waste is processed on the spot. The Directorate of Sanitation, the rural development department along with IIT Indore's 'SWAHA' start-up have started this initiative which could set a big example for the rest of the country. 

"It's a unique kind of programme, the first time in India that a particular religious event that too of a massive scale is being organised in such a way that it becomes a zero-landfill event and a sustainable one. So, because of the help and steps taken by the rural development department of Kashmir, we have been given the responsibility as a start-up, we are from Indore, and it's called Swaha that we make this yatra zero landfill and a sustainable one. Whatever waste is being generated in this yatra must be taken care of very scientifically, we have been collecting the waste, and we have to process it and dispose of it off. It will be a great benchmark for all such events across the nation," Sameer Sharma, Director SWAHA, said.

More than 12 processing units have been placed along the route. The organic waste is converted into compost and inorganic waste is further segregated and sent across to the recycling units. 

“There is a complete plan that we designed with the government. We have two axis from Pahalgam and Baltal. We have established 12 points where we have put up our waste management units, our responsibility is to take care of the waste process and all the waste that's collected. we have to segregate it, one is dry and another one is organic waste, we convert the organic waste into compost and for the inorganic waste we have to further segregate it into 12 categories and then we compress it, and we are taking it to our recycling unit and our associates make different products out of it." said Sharma. 

The government of Jammu and Kashmir had said that around 5-6 lakh pilgrims will take the yatra this year. Experts say that a person normally generates 500gms of waste a day and at Amarnath 10 tons of waste is produced per day. 

The government is also working on a plan to make the Amarnath Yatra smoke-free as well. They have introduced huge solar pressure cookers around the Amarnath route to get rid of the LPG and woodfire usage in the community kitchens.

Seeing the success of this scheme, the J&K Government is planning to implement it across India in all religious pilgrimages and tourist spots, so that a clean Indian dream comes true.