Kedarnath Generates 50.3 Tonnes of Waste in Five Months
Waste generated between April and August 2026 exceeds the total recorded in any of the previous three years
- Kedarnath generated 50.30 tonnes of waste from April to August 2026.
- The five-month figure exceeds the total recorded in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
- Around 20 tonnes of plastic waste has been generated so far this year.
- Nearly 1.5 million pilgrims have visited Kedarnath in 2026.
GG News Bureau
Dehradun, 25th Sept: Kedarnath Dham generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste between April and August 2026, according to data provided by the Nagar Panchayat in response to an RTI query filed by Noida-based RTI activist Amit Gupta.
The waste generated during the first five months of 2026 is more than double the total recorded during the entire pilgrimage season in each of the previous three years. Nagar Panchayat data showed that Kedarnath generated 32.58 metric tonnes in 2023, 26.10 tonnes in 2024 and 21.40 tonnes in 2025.
The 50.30 tonnes recorded in 2026 so far is approximately 54 per cent higher than the 2023 figure, 93 per cent higher than 2024 and 135 per cent higher than 2025.
Waste rises during pilgrimage season
According to the data, Kedarnath generated 1.7 tonnes of waste in April, which rose sharply to 16.3 tonnes in May. Waste generation stood at 11.5 tonnes in June, 10.5 tonnes in July and 10.3 tonnes in August.
The figures come amid a substantial increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the Himalayan shrine. Approximately 1.5 million pilgrims have visited Kedarnath so far this year, according to the information cited in the RTI-based report.
Nearly 20 tonnes of plastic waste generated
The Nagar Panchayat also provided details of plastic waste generated in Kedarnath in 2026. Around 20 metric tonnes of plastic waste has been generated so far, of which 18.5 tonnes, or 92.5 per cent, has been processed. Around 1.5 tonnes remains.
The civic body said Kedarnath has a landfill capacity of 30,000 square feet, with around 28,000 square feet still available. It also stated that four landfills have been constructed in Kedarnath over the past five years.
Environmental concerns mount
The rise in waste generation has raised concerns about the pressure on waste-management infrastructure in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.
RTI activist Amit Gupta said the increasing dependence on landfills, alongside the growing number of pilgrims and tourists, poses concerns for Kedarnath’s environment.
He said the volume of waste generated in just five months of 2026, exceeding the total recorded during entire pilgrimage seasons in previous years, highlights the growing challenge of managing waste in the region.
The data has also renewed attention on the environmental pressures associated with high-footfall pilgrimage destinations in the Himalayan ecosystem.
