Shravan: Uttarakhand's Haridwar Gears Up For Mega Clean-Up Drive As Kanwariyas Leaves Behind 7,000 Tonnes Of Garbage; Take A Look!

· Free Press Journal

Uttarakhand, that is known as Land of Gods (Devbhoomi), is battling with tons of garbage as the annual Kanwar Yatra is over. Haridwar is gearing up for a massive clean-up operation after the annual Kanwar Yatra, with around 7,000 tonnes of garbage left behind as lakhs of Kanwariyas returned home after completing their pilgrimage. According to data, nearly five crore pilgrims visited Haridwar to collect water from the holy Ganga river in the holy month of Shravan or Sawan.

The Kanwar Yatra is one of the largest annual religious gatherings in India. During the Yatra, devotees travel to Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganga and carry it back to their respective hometowns. The massive footfall, however, also creates a significant waste-management challenge for the city.

Kanwariyas left tonnes of garbage in holy sites

As the Kanwariyas left Haridwar for their homes, they left behind tons of garbage, including dirty clothes, slippers, plastic bottles and more. In the changing rooms, discarded water bottles filled with urine were left behind. Videos showed cleaners without gloves or masks removing those bottles with just a shovel.

With the departure of Kanwariyas, civic authorities have shifted their focus towards restoring cleanliness across the city. Roads, ghats, parking areas and other locations that witnessed heavy movement during the pilgrimage are expected to undergo intensive cleaning. The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who called it an unfortunate incident. Trash and tons of garbage were not only seen in Haridwar and Rishikesh but also in Gangotri and Yamunotri.

Haridwar has launched a large-scale cleanliness drive after devotees, tourists and Kanwariyas generated 7,000 tonnes of waste during the two-week pilgrimage. More than 1,100 sanitation workers and 80 vehicles have been deployed as experts warn that garbage could pollute the Ganga and raise the risk of disease.

Uttarakhand gears up for clean-up drive

The forest department undertook a special cleanliness drive in Gangotri after the conclusion of the Yatra. During the clean-up drive, as many as 57 sacks of waste were collected for disposal.

Sanitation workers and municipal teams are being deployed to collect and transport the accumulated waste. The operation is aimed at clearing garbage from public spaces as quickly as possible and ensuring that Haridwar returns to normalcy after the large-scale religious event.

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