Kullu municipal administration used ecologically sensitive Parvati Valley for waste storage, NGT informed

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was informed by the Kullu municipal administration that part of the ecologically sensitive Parvati Valley had been used to store and segregate municipal waste, according to Rohit Mullick's Times of India report.

The Forest Department identified the land as a stop-gap measure after the solid waste management plant at Rangri, near Manali, stopped accepting garbage from Kullu.

According to a status report filed by the municipal administration, the decision to use the forest land was taken at a meeting of the Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Manikaran, on July 11, 2024. The report said transport disruptions to Rangri had led the waste-management contractor to temporarily store garbage at the site.


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The administration reiterated that Rangri’s sudden refusal to accept waste had resulted in the temporary redirection of garbage disposal. It also highlighted repeated violations of contractual terms by garbage collection agencies following the disruptions.

After the contract with Lakshay Total Solutions was terminated for unsatisfactory performance, waste-derived fuel was sent to a cement factory at Bagha in Solan district, while recovered plastic from the segregated waste was sold to scrap dealers.

The report said approximately Rs 51 lakh had been released for the proposed solid waste management and material recovery facility (MRF) in Kasol, which has since been delayed. Despite repeated directions and a two-month deadline set by the municipal authorities, officials and contractors failed to expedite construction. The authorities eventually rescinded the contract and blacklisted the contractor for six months for failing to make progress.

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Meanwhile, the administration introduced a new waste-management facility for the Manikaran special area.

The Rural Development Authority and the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) signed a tripartite agreement in April 2026, following which an NGO began garbage collection and waste-management operations in May.

The report said 90.46 tonnes of waste had been collected by July 13, 2026. Of this, 20 tonnes of wet waste were processed in the first compost pit, while 27.95 tonnes were sent from the MRF site to refuse-derived fuel (RDF) facilities and recyclers.

A higher-capacity baling machine was also installed and began operating in July, the report said.

The municipal administration said the temporary site had since been cleared of waste.

In July 2025, the NGT took suo motu cognisance of reports that a forest in Kasol was being used for garbage dumping and directed the respondents, including the Kullu municipal administration, to respond.

The reports followed the circulation of viral videos showing large mounds of waste littering a forest area.

Kasol is a major tourist destination and receives thousands of visitors every year, placing considerable pressure on the local waste-management system.