Dehradun: Kedarnath Dham generated 50.30 metric tonnes of waste between April and August 2026, with the amount already exceeding the total waste recorded during each of the previous three pilgrimage seasons, according to data provided by the local Nagar Panchayat.The figures were disclosed in response to an RTI query filed by Amit Gupta, an RTI activist from Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Data from the Nagar Panchayat show that Kedarnath generated 32.58 metric tonnes of waste in 2023, 26.10 metric tonnes in 2024 and 21.40 metric tonnes in 2025.
The 50.30 metric tonnes recorded during the first five months of the 2026 pilgrimage season is therefore significantly higher than the waste generated in any of those three full seasons.
The sharp increase has drawn attention to the growing waste-management requirements at the high-altitude pilgrimage destination, which attracts large numbers of visitors during the annual pilgrimage season.
