NGT slams Himachal on waste mismanagement, issues 32 directives to clean rivers and hills
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed serious concern over the management of solid and liquid waste in Himachal Pradesh, noting that the state government itself admitted that all municipal solid waste generated is neither collected nor scientifically processed. In response, the tribunal issued 32 comprehensive directions to ensure compliance with environmental laws.
Hearing a compliance report on May 25, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with expert members Dr A Senthil Vel and Dr Afroz Ahmad, reviewed the state's progress. The state’s sixth monthly status report, covering August 2025 to February 2026, acknowledged that 100% of municipal solid waste is not being properly handled. It also stated that litter remains uncleared daily at many locations, including hill slopes, tourist spots, and garbage hotspots.
According to the report, urban areas in Himachal generate 420.82 tonnes of solid waste per day, of which 20.48 tonnes remain uncollected. About 20.87 tonnes are still dumped at landfills or unscientific sites instead of being processed in treatment facilities.
On liquid waste, the tribunal noted that the state produces 159.117 million litres of sewage daily, but only 88.293 million litres are treated. This means nearly 44.5% of sewage is discharged untreated into rivers, streams, and lakes, posing a threat to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem and public health.
The NGT emphasised that compliance cannot be measured merely by building infrastructure. Success, it said, must be judged by whether every household is connected to a sewer network, rivers receive clean water, and waste is scientifically managed statewide.
The 32 directions include requiring district magistrates of all 12 districts to create a land bank in each of the 76 urban local bodies to avoid delays in waste processing. A buffer zone must be maintained around solid waste facilities as per rules. Open burning and dumping of waste are prohibited. A massive afforestation programme using native tree species along storm water drains in urban and rural areas is also ordered.
The tribunal expressed concern that 295 waste hotspots still exist across the state, including 28 in Shimla Municipal Corporation, indicating gaps in door-to-door collection, source segregation, and public sanitation. It also found that 20 sewage treatment plants are not meeting effluent standards.
The NGT listed the matter for further consideration on January 20, 2027, and directed the chief secretary to submit a comprehensive compliance report addressing all directions.
