Srinagar: About 114.57 tons of waste was collected from the twin routes to the Amarnath shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas since the beginning of the annual pilgrimage 10 days ago, officials said on Monday, as part of an innovative sanitation measures to ensure an “eco-friendly yatra”. The 52-day annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine, housing a naturally formed ice-shiva lingam at a height of 3,880 metres, commenced from the twin tracks — the 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-kilometre shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal — on June 29.
“So far, the cumulative figure of waste on both the axes remained 114.57 tons. Total quantity of waste processed in tons remained 85.
72 and total inert waste generated in tons remained 27.43,” an official said. He said the concerted efforts of waste management teams yielded impressive results in managing plastic, wet and inert waste along the route.
In a dedicated effort to ensure an eco-friendly yatra, the Directorate of Rural Sanitation, under the rural development and panchayati raj department, has adopted a novel approach to sanitation management. Since June 27, more than 7,000 sanitation workers have been engaged to maintain cleanliness and uphold a zero-landfill policy along the twin routes. The department has integrated a comprehensive strategy, focusing on men, machinery, mechanism, maintenance, monitoring and motivation to achieve sustainable sanitation, the official said.
This holist.
