NGT expresses serious concern over solid waste, sewage management in Himachal, issues 32 directions

According to the detailed order released on Saturday, the Tribunal listed the matter for further consideration on January 20, 2027, and directed the chief secretary to submit a comprehensive compliance report, addressing all directions issued by it.

In the fifth six monthly status report from August 2025 to February 2026 on the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and sewage management filed before the Tribunal, the government accepted that 100 per cent of the municipal solid waste generated in the state “is neither being collected nor scientifically processed”, while acknowledging that “littered waste continues to remain uncleared daily at several locations, including hill slopes, tourist destinations, vending zones and garbage hotspots”. According to the report, urban areas in Himachal Pradesh generate 420.82 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day, of which 20.48 tonnes remain uncollected.

The Tribunal observed that the state continues to face significant deficiencies in scientific waste management and sewage treatment, posing serious risks to public health and the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. It emphasised that environmental compliance cannot be measured merely by the construction of infrastructure; the bench observed that success must be judged by whether every household is connected to a sewer network, whether rivers receive clean water instead of untreated sewage, and whether waste is scientifically managed throughout the state.

The Tribunal noted that approximately 20.87 tonnes of waste continue to be disposed of at landfills or temporary, unscientific dumping sites, with several ULBs still relying on such sites instead of scientific waste processing facilities.

On liquid waste management, the Tribunal observed that Himachal generates approximately 159.117 million litres of sewage per day (MLD), while only 88.293 MLD is actually being treated; consequently, around 44.5 per cent of the sewage generated in the state is discharged untreated into rivers, streams, lakes and other natural water bodies.

The NGT’s 32 directions include the District Magistrates (DMs) of all 12 districts should ensure creation of land bank in each Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) (there are 76 ULBs in Himachal) located after detailed assessment of land requirements so that waste disposal processing and management is not delayed; a buffer zone should be maintained as stipulated by MSW Rules, 2016 & 2026 around solid waste processing and disposal facility; the open burning and dumping of solid waste should be prohibited; massive afforestation programme with native trees species is required to be launched on both the banks of storm water drains in both urban and rural areas of the state and others, etc.

The Tribunal also expressed concern that 295 waste hotspots continue to exist across the state, including 28 hotspots in Shimla Municipal Corporation, observing that their continued existence reflects deficiencies in door-to-door waste collection, source segregation and public sanitation systems.

The Bench also found that 20 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are not complying with prescribed effluent standards and that several STPs are operating without valid statutory consent. It further noted that more than 30 ULBs have zero household sewer connections, resulting in untreated domestic sewage flowing directly into open drains and ultimately into natural water bodies.

Recognising Himachal as one of India’s most ecologically sensitive Himalayan states, the Tribunal said, “In a mountainous and ecologically sensitive state such as Himachal Pradesh, the discharge of untreated domestic sewage into rivers, khads (rivulets) and streams is not a localised or tolerable environmental impact. Rivers such as the Yamuna, Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Giri, Sirsa, Swan, and their numerous tributaries – which serve as drinking water sources for lakhs of citizens and sustain unique Himalayan biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems- are receiving, daily, the aggregate burden of untreated sewage from urban and rural areas across the state.”

The Tribunal directed the state to eliminate temporary dumping sites through scientific waste management systems, prepare a comprehensive rural solid waste management plan, remediate all remaining legacy waste sites, strengthen Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), composting and Bio-CNG infrastructure, eliminate waste hotspots, and improve segregation, collection and recycling across both urban and rural areas.

The Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) has been directed to identify all STPs operating without valid consent, recover outstanding environmental compensation from non-compliant facilities, and initiate prosecution under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 against persistent violators.

The Tribunal also directed all ULBs to prepare time-bound sewer connectivity plans, promote reuse of treated wastewater, prohibit open dumping and burning of waste, strengthen source segregation, establish grievance redressal systems, expand public awareness programmes, involve Women’s Self-Help Groups in waste management, develop digital monitoring systems, and undertake large-scale plantation along storm-water drains.