Himachal Pradesh High Court Mandates Tourists To Carry Garbage Bags In Vehicles, Lays Down Comprehensive Measures To Ensure Cleaner State

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has mandated tourists to carry garbage bags in their vehicles to address waste management issues and environmental degradation. The court emphasized the need for improved practices, including auditing green tax utilization, establishing a Municipal Waste Management Corporation, fully implementing a plastic buyback policy, forming Special Task Forces for waste hotspots, developing sustainable trekking routes, and enhancing tourist infrastructure. Authorities were also directed to stop untreated sewage discharge into rivers and conduct training programs for local bodies on waste management. The court will review progress on August 1, 2024.