500 tonnes of garbage increases every day on diwali in uttarakhand, disposal plants started panting - uttarakhand diwali waste disposal plants strained

Updated: Sun, 19 Oct 2025 10:03 (IST) An increase of 500 tonnes has been recorded in the quantity of garbage in Uttarakhand on the occasion of Diwali, due to which the pressure on dumping plants has increased. Municipal bodies have been instructed to make garbage disposal run smoothly by using additional staff and resources, so that cleanliness is maintained during the festival. According to municipal bodies, 30 percent more solid waste is collected compared to normal days Ashwani Tripathi, Jagran, Dehradun. Before Diwali, the domestic cleanliness has brightened the houses and courtyards, but the garbage disposal plants of the municipal bodies are laden with garbage. Before Diwali, around 500 tonnes of additional solid waste is generated every day in the state. Remove advertisement Read news only Decorative materials, candy boxes and old relics added to the pile of rubbish. According to municipal bodies, up to 30 percent more solid waste is collected compared to normal days. This has increased the pressure on the solid waste management system. Municipal bodies in Uttarakhand are already facing a huge challenge of garbage disposal. Till now only Dehradun and Haridwar have sanitary landfills that dispose of garbage scientifically. Yet MRF (Material Recovery Facility) plants bear the burden of waste disposal in the state. Due to the increase in the load of garbage on Diwali, MRF plants started gasping. There are a total of 85 MRF plants in the state, where waste is sorted by hand and machines. Solid waste management plant jammed, overloading increased. After modern sanitary landfill, Solid Waste Management Plant is the only hope left for municipal bodies in garbage disposal, but out of 62 approved projects, only 16 projects are ready till now. 44 projects are stuck in DPR for many years. Wet and dry waste that accumulates troubles the municipal bodies of the state. About 1716 metric tons of solid waste is generated every day. The habit of not separating wet and dry waste from homes creates the biggest challenge. In the 108 urban local bodies of the state, waste segregation is still reported in only 79.50 per cent of the households, but in reality this figure has not even reached 50 per cent. As a result, the challenge of separating wet and dry at disposal centers arises. Old mess is already a headache, now it will increase further. A total of 23.51 lakh metric tonnes of heritage waste (old waste) is accumulated in the state, of which only 45.42 per cent (10.68 lakh metric tonnes) has been disposed of. 17 projects are stuck due to land disputes and public opposition. Now, due to the increase of 500 tonnes of garbage every day on Diwali and not being disposed of on time, the mountain of old garbage is getting higher. Digit Pointer – Total wards – 1256 Garbage generated per day – 1716.46 metric tonnes Ready solid waste management plants – 16 MRF plants – 85 On the occasion of Diwali, garbage disposal plants are working at full capacity, instructions have been given to the municipal bodies to use additional staff and other necessary dumping facilities, so that there is no problem in garbage disposal. Vinod Kumar, Assistant Director, Department of Urban Development