Less plastic, reusable plates & utensils help cut waste on Amarnath route
Pilgrims on the Amarnath Yatra have successfully reduced waste generation by 15% by adopting reusable utensils and reducing single-use plastics. The initiative, supported by waste management agencies, saw a decrease in total waste despite an increase in the number of pilgrims.
Why it matters
It demonstrates the effectiveness of behavioral shifts and sustainable infrastructure in managing environmental impacts at large-scale religious and tourist events.
Bhopal: Many who set out for one of the country’s longest and most arduous pilgrimage sites, the Amarnath cave shrine rising beyond 12,000 feet across the fragile Himalayan terrain, packed some unusual additions to their travel kit this year — their own steel plates, bowls and spoons.The small but significant behavioural shift, backed by reusable utensils at langars (community kitchens) and fewer disposables along the Amarnath route, helped cut per-capita waste generation by 15% even as nearly 70,000 more pilgrims undertook the yatra this year.Data shared by the waste-management team show that during the full yatra period from July 3 to August 28, footfall to the revered cave shrine rose 17.07%, from 4.10 lakh in 2025 to 4.80 lakh this year.
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