Tourists entering Himachal should carry a large garbage bag: Himachal Pradesh High Court suggests

In a bid to promote sustainable tourism, the Himachal Pradesh High Court recently asked the State government to consider making it mandatory for tourists entering the State to carry a garbage bag with them to clean up any waste they may generate during their visit [Suleman v. Union of India]..The suggestion was among the slew of directions passed by the Bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Sushil Kukreja to improve waste management practices in the State.In the July 19 order, the Court asked the State government to look at the measures taken in other tourism-heavy states such as Goa and Sikkim to promote sustainable tourism."In order to promote sustainability in all the tourist destinations and to ensure community participation towards achieving this goal, the State should take cue from the Government of Sikkim, in which it has been made mandatory for all tourist vehicles entering the State to carry a large garbage bag in their respective vehicles and the responsibility has been fastened upon the concerned tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to disseminate the information about the use of garbage bag for waste collection and disposal,” the Court added. .The order was passed in a batch of public interest litigation (PIL) petitions that touched upon environmental concerns in Himachal Pradesh.While dealing with the matter, the Court had earlier urged the State government to consider imposing solid waste management charges on tourists visiting Himachal.In its latest order, the Court issued more key directives to address concerns of waste management in the State, including the following.The Court noted that a green tax is already being levied on tourists, in certain districts, namely Kullu, Manali, Sirsu, and Koksar. However, the Court found that no audit has been done to monitor whether the tax so collected was being used effectively for waste management. The Court, therefore, asked the concerned authorities to file an affidavit on how the collected green tax was being spent. The Court suggested that the State should consider setting up a Municipal Waste Management Corporation, similar to the model in Goa, to enhance waste management efficiency. The Court noted that the plastic buyback policy in the State was virtually non-functional. Therefore, the State was directed to make the plastic buyback policy fully functional for seven days a week so that the citizens, especially rag pickers, have an incentive to collect waste lying in streets, jungles and streams etc. In many cases, such activities could become a source of livelihood, the Court added. The Court directed the State to form Special Task Forces (STFs) that would focus on efforts to clean hillsides, streams, and other hotspots. The STF will include members from various municipal corporations, State and District Legal Services Authorities, the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), the Forest Department, NGOs, and other stakeholders, the Court added. It also directed the State government to consider the development of sustainable ecosystems along trekking routes by setting up checkpoints for assessing the plastic/ glass waste etc. being taken by the tourists via trek routes to the meadows. Further, the Court suggested that the State may consider setting up tourist information centers, eco-friendly toilets, drawing out standard operating procedures (SOPs) for adventure companies, local guides and camp owners so as to ensure proper waste disposal facilities and implementation of guidelines to maintain cleanliness and sustainability. In a June 2024 hearing, the Court had been told that sewage and sullage was being discharged into the river Chandrabhaga at Sirsoo, Tandi, Keylong, Jispa and Udaipur. The Court reiterated that the concerned authorities should ensure this does not continue. On July 19, it ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul and Spiti to ensure that there is no discharge of sullage in the open unless it is first treated. A compliance report in this regard is to be filed by the next date of hearing.The Court further directed the government to conduct trainingprogramme for panchayats and Urban Local Bodies on waste segregation, material recovery facilities by associating NGOs like Healing Himalayas and Waste Warriors and others..The Court will hear the matter again on August 1. .[Read Order]