
Photo essay: Why the Himalayas are drowning in waste
The pan-India ban on certain single-use plastics will face many implementation challenges, especially in the Himalayan region.
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are known as ‘Dev Bhoomi’ or the ‘Land of the Gods’ due to their religious significance and are characterized by beautiful landscapes featuring several peaks, wildlife sanctuaries with rich biodiversity and gleaming rivers. Two of the most important rivers in the country, the Ganga and Yamuna, originate in the glaciers of Uttarakhand.
The two states have witnessed over 400 million tourists in the last decade, leading to an unprecedented increase in waste generation. Due to the lack of proper systems, most of this waste is dumped and burned, leading to a global environmental crisis!
Waste dumping disproportionately impacts marginalized communities and wildlife habitats. Waste burning releases dioxins and furans, some of the most toxic and carcinogenic chemicals known to scientists. Microplastics and nano-plastics have polluted our air, water, and land. Waste burning also releases black carbon, a significant source of pollutants, leading to the faster melting of the Himalayan glaciers and thereby reinforcing anthropogenic climate change.
We as humans have created this problem; We as Warriors can solve this problem!
In a gentle way, we can shake the world.
The pan-India ban on certain single-use plastics will face many implementation challenges, especially in the Himalayan region.
Saving their environment and breaking stigma and stereotypes, one village at a time.
We’re excited to announce that we’ve partnered with the Eco Development Committees of Corbett’s Ringora and Aamdanda Forest villages to help the community become garbage-free!
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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
© Waste Warriors Society, since 2012.