The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Plastic waste recycle plant in 2 months
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 9
Uttarakhand, an ecologically sensitive state that has been fighting the problem of plastic waste plaguing its hills and water bodies, will be getting its first plastic recycling plant soon.

After struggling for more than a decade environmentalists will let out a sigh of relief with the coming up of the plant at Katgodham in Kumoan in the next two months.

Set up by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, the plant has been outsourced to the All-India Plastic Manufacturers’ Association. “Everything is in place; the machinery has come and the commissioning of the plant will be done soon,” said Vipin Kumar, environmental consultant, who played a stellar role in the setting up of the plant.

The plant will manufacture high-density underground drain pipes.

With more than 1.75 crore tourists and pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand annually during the Char Dham Yatra high up in the Himalayas, Rishikesh and Haridwar in the foothills, wildlife parks and sanctuaries, virgin peaks, hill stations, picturesque valleys and flowing rivers, the problem of garbage has acquired a gigantic proportion, threatening the state’s flora and fauna.

There are no facilities to collect or treat garbage at Char Dham temples or any other place in the mid-Himalayas. Most of it is thrown on the slopes, choking the earth or finding its way into the rivers and water bodies.

Nearly 100 tonnes of garbage, 70 per cent plastic waste, is generated annually at Char Dham temples of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath while the situation is even more grim at Rishikesh and Haridwar.

Garbage, particularly plastic waste, has become a major environmental hazard in the Himalayas. The problem has become acute in Uttarakhand. More than six million Kanwaraiyas visit the state every year and leave behind a lot of garbage, from Gangotri to Haridwar. Most of it is pushed into streams and rivers or strewn all over the mountain side.

“The average cost of collection of per kilo of plastic waste in the higher Himalayas comes to Rs 40 per kg, including transportation, Rs 18 to Rs 20 per kg in the middle Himalayas and Rs 8 to Rs12 per kg at tourist destinations like Mussoorie and Nainital,” says Vipin Kumar, who has been getting plastic waste collected from the Upper Himalayas for a decade.

The main problem faced was of volume and cost of transportation to New Delhi for recycling. None was willing to do the job since it was not economically viable.

In 2005, the Uttarakhand government came up with the idea of a plastic densification plant at Srinagar, Garhwal, to reduce the volume of plastic garbage to be sent further for reuse.

The first plastic waste densification and flaking unit at Srinagar (Garhwal) in the public-private sector has been doing a good job in dealing with the menance.

The densification and flaking plant set up at a cost of Rs 34 lakh is a unique experiment using a pollution-free technology. "Since plastic waste is voluminous and uneconomical to be taken for re-cycling to units located in Delhi or elsewhere, this plant will densify the plastic into granules for reuse," explains Sunder Gupta, owner of the densification unit.

The state has invested the money in the project but the private company running it to densify and flake the plastic waste for recycling and pay the state government Rs 40,000 per month.

The plant has the capacity to deal with 10 tonnes of plastic waste. But the company is facing problems due to increase in power charges. “It is very difficult to run the plant at such exhorbitant power rates,” complains Gupta.

Since the creation of Uttarakhand in November 2000, the number of tourists to the region has increased. Pilgrims to the Badrinath temple located in the Garhwal Himalayas, in 1999 was 3.40 lakh. This jumped up up to 6.95 lakh the following year. A total of 1.38 crore domestic and 74,761 foreign tourists visited Uttarakhand in 2004 .

The number increased to 1.75 crore (including 6 million Kanwarais) in 2008. The Kanwariyas visit Uttarakhand to carry the holy Ganga water during the month of “sawaan”.

The number of tourists to other places, including Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli, has also increased. This has lead to pressure garbage in the shape of water bottles, raincoats, shoes and plastic wrappers being strewn around.

“The plastic industry has been playing havoc with environment with multi- layered laminated plastic cans of pan masala and eatables, cold drinks and juices scattered all over.

“There is an urgent need for an eco-service tax on these units,” says Vipin Kumar.

There has been a move to start a coop society for garbage collection at Badrinath and two units to compact plastic waste has been set up at Joshimath and Sonaprayag near Jankichatti by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board at the initiative of former tourism minister Parkash Pant.

There is a need for a policy to contain and recycle plastic waste and spread awareness among the masses on the issue,” says Dr Anil Joshi, founder of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO).

Guidelines for trekkers framed

Each team has to deposit a security deposit, Rs 10,000 in case of foreigners and Rs 5, 000 for domestic trekkers. The money is to be refunded after a team deposits non-biodegradable waste from the expedition

Where there is will, there is a way. It is not only laws but the will to implement these that matters. She has done it earlier and can do it again.

Jyotsna Sitling, a young Indian Forest Service officer, who cleaned up the famous “Valley of Flowers” in the Nanda Devi biosphere of plastic waste, has now framed guidelines for mountaineering expeditions in Uttarakhand.

Since Uttarakhand has offered its 63 mountain peaks to trekkers this year, fresh guidelines emphasise that trekkers declare the biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable items being carried by the team.

Each team has to deposit a security deposit, which is Rs 10,000 for foreigners and Rs 5, 000 for domestic trekkers.

The money will be refunded after the team deposits non-biodegradable waste from the expedition. A limit has been imposed on the number of expedition members and porters.

While, most tourist centres in Uttarakhand remain littered with plastic waste, Jyotsna got rid of the plastic waste accumulated over the years by pilgrims to Hemkund Sahib. She formed eco-development committees (EDCs) of local people to clean the garbage. Her efforts resulted in the“Valley of Flowers” being given the status of “World Heritage site”

25,000 acres to go green
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 9
The State Forest Department would be covering as much as 25,000 hectares of forest land under a plantation drive this monsoon.

With an average of 162 lakh plants per hectare, for the first time the department would take to site-specific plantation. This would be in addition to water conservation initiatives taken by the department.

Apart from Oak, employment-oriented species including Ringal and Bamboos would be emphasised upon. Forest authorities assert that the department has gone for site-specific plantation and would resort to Chir tree plantation in the drier areas.

According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr RBS Rawat, the drive was being launched with the motive of adding to the forest cover and helping in water conservation.

“Soils have already been prepared and we are just waiting for rains before we can undertake the plantation drive. This is in addition to various water conservation efforts of the department. We spent Rs 5 crore in 2008-09 for replenishing as many as 88 water sources,” he said.

Notably, a recent survey had identified 500 water bodies in the state that needed immediate conservation.

Meanwhile, ecologist Prof NP Todaria backs plantation of broad leaf trees in big numbers. “With growing population coupled with rampant construction in the hills, these natural water resources are being destroyed. Plantation of right species of trees that favour water conservation can enrich our forest wealth,” he opined.

Forestry experts, for quite some time now, have been favouring plantation of mixed trees. There have been apprehensions that lack of fruit trees inside forests was forcing wild animals, particularly elephants and simians, into human settlements.

Park visitors given saplings
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 9
As part of a greenery campaign, “Eco Friends”, a group of engineering students, distributed plant saplings here today. Students from the club gathered at the Gandhi Park and handed over tree and ornamental plant saplings to the visitors. The species included Gulmohar, Bottle Brush, Kachnar, among others.

Piyush Dangwal, coordinator “Eco Friends” and an engineering student at Dehradun Institute of Technology, said the club was formed five years ago by a handful of students who felt the need of restoring greenery in Doon.

The campaign gained ground and as of today the membership of the club has grown to 150 in the entire country.

“We plant as many as 1,000 tree saplings through our members across the country in an year,” said Shivam, one of the club members.

Stating that degradation of environment was a major challenge before society, he added that it was important to educate the younger generation in this regard. Dangwal revealed that the club would hold another round of tree saplings distribution on July 18, simultaneously at Dehradun and Deoprayag region of Garhwal.

Mysterious beast attacks livestock
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 9
The wildlife authorities are placed in a piquant situation with villages in Patti Choprakot, in close proximity to Dudha Toli in Kotwar area of Pauri Garhwal, alleging incessant attacks by a wild animal whose identify has become a matter of curiosity.

A mysterious animal has been attacking livestock in the region for quite some time. People say it has become increasingly difficult for them to identify the beast.

Only a few days back in Kunath village, Gaya Singh Chauhan’s buffalo and two bulls were mauled by the beast. Similar attacks have taken place in other villages.

Divisional forest officer DN Semwal said they had sent a team of forest officials to trace the beast. He, however, dismissed existence of an animal in the forest area “ with a long snout, dog-like ears, long tail and claws similar to tigers,” as claimed by the villagers.

He said people often come out with such fantastic claims out of sheer panic. Fear , perhaps, distorted their sense of reality, he said.

But villagers argue that the beast has munched bones of the bulls and other livestock, a tendency rarely found in other wild animals.

Retired forester BBS Rawat recalls coming across a brown leopard in Mussoorie.

“At times, due to genetic variations some change in anatomy occurs and the incident at Choprakot may be seen in this context.“Due to cross-breeding, a slight change in colour may also take place,” he said.

When referred to the Choprakot wild beast terror, Rawat said he had frequented the area in the early eighties. He said he had found that leopards were the the prime cause for man-animal conflict in the area.

Kanwariyas leave Roorkee in stench
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Roorkee, July 9
Roorkee is in danger of turning into a stench city with an estimated 70 lakh kanwariyas expected to pass through the town on their way to Haridwar for the Kanwar Mela.

The civic authorities have made no public facilities for them, whatsoever, leaving the visitors with no option but to defecate in the open.

Thousands of Kanwariyas halt here for rest during their journey.

Most sleep in the streets and bazars outside shops. “In the absence of toilets, they do not hesitate to defecate in front of our shops,” says a grim shopkeeper. Pradeep Batra, chairman of the Municipal Board, Roorkee, says the board has deputed 50 safai karamcharis on the highway for cleaning.

“But we are not making any arrangements for makeshift toilets as we already have two public toilets here. “We have asked several dharamshalas to open their doors to the kanwariyas,” said Batra, adding that two water tankers would be stationed on the highway everyday.

Meanwhile, the health authorities have made special arrangements for the Kanwar Mela. It has set up a medical stall at Shatabdi Dwar, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), for first-aid and a special ward for the visitors in the Civil Hospital here.