PM on waste dumps in Kedarnath: 'When we go to pilgrim site, that's not right'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed concern over the waste dumps in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath amid the ‘Char Dham Yatra’. Speaking during his monthly radio address of ‘Mann Ki Baat', he also said that contrasting images have emerged from the holy site. “At present, the holy journey of 'Char-Dham' in Uttarakhand is going on in our country. Thousands of devotees are reaching there every day, and especially in Kedarnath. People are sharing their pleasant experiences," the prime minister said.

“But, I have also seen that the devotees are also very sad because of the filth being spread by some travellers in Kedarnath. Many people have also expressed their views on social media. If we go on a holy pilgrimage and there is a heap of filth, it is not right,” the prime minister added.

On contrasting images, he said: “Where there is faith, there is also positivity. There are many devotees who worship in Baba Kedar's Dham along with practicing cleanliness. Some are cleaning near the place of their stay, while some are cleaning the garbage from the travel route.”

Lakhs of devotees have so far visited the holy site. Visuals of heaps of filth were shared widely on social media over the last few days as experts expressed concern for the ecologically sensitive area.

The ‘Char Dham’ yatra was suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It began with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri portals for devotees on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya, an auspicious Hindu festival. While Kedarnath re-opened on May 6, the doors of Badrinath opened on May 8.

"The way plastic garbage has piled up in a sensitive place like Kedarnath is hazardous for our ecology. It'll lead to erosion which can cause landslides. We must keep in mind tragedy of 2013," professor MS Negi, head of the geography department at Garhwal Central University, told news agency ANI last week.