Srinagar, Sep 7: Mounds of garbage and plastic waste are lying all along the  Amarnath Yatra route, despite Governor N N Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), directing the officials to remove it by August 20.
 “Heaps of garbage, plastic bottles and remnants of food packets are still lying at various places enroute the cave shrine, including Chandanwari Base camp, Pishutop, Zojipal , Nagakoti, Sheeshnag Base camp, Wawbal, Poshpathri and Panchtarni on the 32 Kilometer Pahalgam trek route as well as Domail and Baltal Base camp on the 13 Kilometer Baltal route. Even the holy cave shrine has not been properly cleaned up,” sources revealed.
 “At some places from where the garbage was removed are still in a mess as it has not been dumped in a proper manner. The authorities should have ensured effective disposal of waste in a scientific manner. The waste has been dumped in the garbage pits adjacent to the water bodies,” they said. “This finally makes its way into the water bodies after rains or snows and pollutes these bodies.”
 “We have been monitoring eastern Lidder river during and after the Yatra and it has been seen that the nitrate level of the water is on higher side as it gets contaminated due to fecal matter and other wastes,” said,  Dr Ghulam Jeelani, Associate Professor, Geology and Geophysics Department, University of Kashmir.
 Pertinently, concerned over the mounds of garbage and plastic waste dumped along the Amarnath Yatra routes, Governor, N N Vohra had directed the authorities to remove all solid wastes from the yatra routes by August 20. 
 The annual Amarnath yatra to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine concluded on August 13.
 Environmentalists have time and again raised concerns about the alarming level of solid waste left behind by Amarnath pilgrims. They have also pointed out at the inadequate garbage disposal units and toilets in the area.
 A record number of 6.35 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the shrine during the 46-day pilgrimage.
 Despite repeated attempts, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SASB, R K Goel could not be contacted.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 8 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST