Kedarnath Generates 50.3 Tonnes Waste In Just 5 Months, More Than 2025’s Entire Total

Kedarnath Dham generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste in just five months, between April and August 2026, putting the Himalayan shrine under growing environmental pressure. The figure is already more than 2.5 times the total waste recorded during the entire 2025 pilgrimage season.

The figures, obtained through an RTI query by Noida-based activist Amit Gupta, show that the waste generated in only five months of 2026 has surpassed the annual total recorded in each of the previous three years. According to the Nagar Panchayat, Kedarnath generated 32.58 tonnes in 2023, 26.10 tonnes in 2024 and 21.40 tonnes in 2025.

In other words, the waste generated between April and August, just five months, is already about 54 per cent higher than the entire 2023 total, nearly twice the 2024 figure and more than twice the 2025 figure.

The monthly figures show how sharply the waste load rose during the pilgrimage season. Kedarnath generated 1.7 tonnes in April, followed by 16.3 tonnes in May. The figure stood at 11.5 tonnes in June, 10.5 tonnes in July and 10.3 tonnes in August.

The surge comes amid heavy pilgrim footfall. Around 15 lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath so far this year, adding to the pressure on waste collection, processing and disposal systems in an ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.

Plastic waste is another concern. The Nagar Panchayat said approximately 20 tonnes of plastic waste had been generated in 2026, of which 18.5 tonnes, or 92.5 per cent, had been processed. Around 1.5 tonnes remained unprocessed.

The civic body said Kedarnath has 30,000 square feet of landfill capacity, with 28,000 square feet currently remaining. It also said four landfills have been constructed in the area over the past five years.

However, the rapid increase in waste raises questions about whether existing infrastructure can keep pace with the growing scale of pilgrimage. Gupta said the figures highlight the mounting pressure on Kedarnath's waste-management system and warned that continued dependence on landfills could pose concerns for the fragile Himalayan environment.

With visitor numbers rising, the challenge for authorities is not only to collect the waste generated but also to ensure better segregation, recycling and processing so that the environmental cost of pilgrimage does not grow alongside its popularity.