SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted the sanitation and scientific waste-management arrangements put in place during this year’s Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, drawing national attention to a model that saw over 414 metric tonnes of waste processed across the pilgrimage routes.
In his latest episode of Mann Ki Baat, Modi praised the cleanliness efforts undertaken during the annual pilgrimage, noting that thousands of sanitation workers worked in difficult Himalayan terrain to keep the routes and camps clean.
He said more than 400 metric tonnes of waste was collected and processed during the Yatra, while over 16,000 pilgrims took a cleanliness pledge and more than 10,000 were issued Responsible Yatri Certificates.
The Prime Minister also highlighted an initiative under which dung generated by horses and donkeys used during the pilgrimage was converted into biogas, which was subsequently used as a clean energy source.
“On this holy journey of Baba Barfani, cleanliness also became a form of service and faith,” Modi said.
The Yatra concluded on August 28 after witnessing the participation of lakhs of pilgrims. The sanitation and waste-management operations were implemented by the Directorate of Rural Sanitation, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, J&K, across the Baltal and Pahalgam axes, base camps and other key locations.
According to officials, more than 8,000 sanitation facilities and supporting infrastructure were deployed as part of the arrangements. These included prefabricated sanitation structures, toilets, bathing facilities and pucca bases aimed at providing pilgrims with safe and hygienic facilities along the challenging pilgrimage routes.
The infrastructure was supported by dedicated sanitation personnel deployed at camps, routes and high-footfall locations. Their duties included regular cleaning and upkeep of facilities, maintaining public spaces and preventing accumulation of waste along the pilgrimage corridor.
A scientific solid waste-management system was simultaneously put in place to handle the large volume of waste generated during the Yatra.
Under the Zero Waste to Landfill approach, officials said 414.46 metric tonnes of waste was collected and scientifically processed during the 2026 pilgrimage.
The system covered the entire waste-management chain, from segregation at source and collection to transportation, processing and scientific disposal. Waste generated at base camps and along the routes was channelled for appropriate treatment instead of being allowed to accumulate in the ecologically fragile Himalayan landscape.
The administration also carried out information, education and communication campaigns to encourage pilgrims to use designated sanitation facilities, segregate waste and avoid littering.
The emphasis was on developing a “Swachh Yatra” culture, with cleanliness positioned as a shared responsibility involving pilgrims, the administration, sanitation workers, service providers and other stakeholders.
Technology-enabled monitoring and field-level supervision were also used to oversee sanitation services and waste-management operations across the routes and camps.
The initiative assumes significance given the sensitive ecology of the Himalayan terrain through which the pilgrimage passes. Officials said the integration of sanitation infrastructure, scientific waste processing, manpower and behavioural interventions helped reduce the environmental footprint of the large-scale pilgrimage while maintaining hygiene standards.
Director General Rural Sanitation, J&K, Anoo Malhotra said the Yatra demonstrated how infrastructure, manpower, technology and behavioural change could work together to create a cleaner and more environmentally responsible pilgrimage.
“With over 8,000 sanitation facilities deployed and 414.46 MT of waste collected and processed, the Yatra has demonstrated how infrastructure, manpower, technology and behavioural change can work together to create a cleaner and more environmentally responsible pilgrimage experience,” Malhotra said.
Modi’s mention of the arrangements in Mann Ki Baat has brought national recognition to the sanitation teams and administrative machinery involved in managing waste and hygiene during one of the country’s major annual pilgrimages
