Dehradun: A damning video shedding light on the deplorable state of waste management in Uttarakhand, Mainly Uttarkashi has sparked outrage, with Anoop Nautiyal, President of SDC Foundation Dehradun, leading the charge against the negligence evident in towns and municipalities across the Himalayan state.
The video, centered on Uttarkashi town post-Magh Mela, revealed a shocking landscape of refuse strewn across Ramlila Maidan. Nautiyal, expressing his dismay on social media, condemned the state's political class for its failure to address the worsening crisis and reliance on hollow awareness campaigns.
Nautiyal's criticism didn't stop at the government's doorstep.
In a recorded call to the state helpline (1905), he passionately conveyed his frustration, urging a more substantial approach to waste management beyond mere lip service.
Nautiyal also reminded the Uttarakhand government about the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concern about the waste littered around the Kedaranath shrine in his 'Man Ki Baat Programme'. 
The call underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive system to tackle the mounting garbage crisis.
Uttarakhand's dismal performance in the Swachh Survekshan 2023 rankings, with Rishikesh languishing at 304 out of 446 cities, served as a harsh reality check.
The "Yoga Capital of the World", Rishikesh, found itself in a pitiable state, a glaring indictment of the municipal bodies and political representatives responsible for the region's cleanliness.
With the impending Chardham Yatra in 2024 looming large, Nautiyal called on the state government to launch an Information Awareness campaign and putting in place a system for waste management.
He stressed the importance of collaboration with corporate entities to adopt cities and towns, placing responsibility squarely on the shoulders of municipalities and the political class.
This video not only exposes the dire state of waste management but also holds towns, municipalities, and the political class accountable for the escalating crisis.
As Uttarakhand inches closer to being engulfed in its own refuse, Nautiyal's impassioned plea serves as a scathing indictment of the collective failure to address the state's mounting waste woes.
The onus now rests on public representatives to rise above political posturing and take concrete steps towards a cleaner Uttarakhand.
