New Delhi:
Kedarnath generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste between April and August this year, more than two-and-a-half times the total waste recorded during the entire pilgrimage season in 2025, according to data obtained under the Right to Information Act.
The data showed that waste generation at the Himalayan pilgrimage centre has risen in recent years. Kedarnath generated 32.58 tonnes in 2023, 26.10 tonnes in 2024 and 21.40 tonnes in 2025.
Around 20 tonnes of plastic waste was generated during the first five months of 2026, of which 18.5 tonnes had been processed, according to the data.
The local Nagar Panchayat has a landfill capacity of 30,000 square feet, with around 28,000 square feet still available. The rise in waste generation has raised concerns over the pressure placed on the fragile Himalayan environment by the growing number of pilgrims.
Around 1.5 million pilgrims have visited Kedarnath this year, according to the report. The increase in waste has highlighted the need for stronger collection, segregation, processing and disposal systems in the ecologically sensitive pilgrimage region.