The Himachal Pradesh High Court has suggested the state government make it mandatory for tourists to carry a garbage bag to clean up any waste they may generate during their visit.
A bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Sushil Kukreja asked the state government to take cue from the measures taken by 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 bench said in its July 19 order.
The court’s order came on a batch of petitions regarding environmental concerns in Himachal Pradesh. The court had also suggested the state government consider imposing solid waste management charges on tourists, reported India Today
In the order, the court listed a number of directives to concerns of waste management. These include:
– Conduct audits of the waste being carried by trekkers and collect user fees that contribute to waste management and environmental conservation efforts.
– Establish small dry waste storage facilities at the checkpoints. These units will serve as temporary storage for collected waste until it can be transported to central waste management facilities.
– Formulate committees comprising representatives from the concerned panchayat, Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), Ecotourism Society, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). These committees will be responsible for overseeing waste management, restoration work, and rescue operations.
– Ensure that user fees collected at checkpoints are transparently managed and utilised for waste management and environmental conservation activities.
The court further directed the Himachal Pradesh government to conduct a training programme for panchayats and urban local bodies on waste segregation, material recovery facilities by associating relevant NGOs.
