Faecal coliform at Gaurikund, gateway to Kedar, way above safe limit: RTI

Time of India

2 days ago

Dehradun: The faecal coliform (FC) level at a drain in Gaurikund, starting point of the Kedarnath trek, was found to be 4.9 million MPN/100ml, far exceeding the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) permissible limit of 2,500 MPN/100ml.
The data was disclosed by CPCB in response to an RTI filed by a Noida-based activist.
Experts attributed the pollution to lack of a sewage treatment plant (STP) and a rise in pilgrim numbers in recent years. Over 14 lakh pilgrims have already visited Kedarnath this season, shows govt data. Vishal Singh, executive director of Centre for Ecology Development and Research called for capping visitor numbers to limit organic waste in the region.
CPCB said there are two drains each in Kedarnath Dham and Gaurikund with two untapped drains flowing into the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers. "At the drain at the entrance of the pedestrian yatra, near the Gaurikund police post, the BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) was recorded at 184 mg/l (the limit for drinking water is less than 5, and for treated wastewater, up to 30), COD (chemical oxygen demand) at 362 mg/l (permissible limit: 250), and FC at 4.9 million (desirable limit: 500, permissible: 2,500)," stated the RTI reply in response to queries posed by Amit Gupta.
"Pollution level at Gaurikund is dangerously high, suggesting heavy sewage inflow, untreated waste, and health-threatening pathogens. This kind of contamination not only harms river ecosystems downstream but also threatens spring sources, which supply potable water, support agriculture, and sustain tourism. Poor sewage management, coupled with warming in the high Himalayas, will affect biodiversity and increase disease risks by creating breeding grounds for vectors like mosquitoes," said Singh.
He also stressed the need to prioritise sewage treatment infrastructure in such ecologically sensitive areas. "Strict regulations for solid and liquid waste management must be enforced, and water quality monitoring strengthened. Behavioural change is also key and awareness drives should be launched across the Char Dham route. Eco-sensitive pilgrim infrastructure is essential to protect these fragile high-altitude ecosystems and ensure clean water for communities," he said.
The STP in Kedarnath, which was scheduled for completion before the 2025 yatra season, remains unfinished. Officials had earlier said it would be ready by May 30. In an affidavit to National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April, Rudraprayag district magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar said the original deadline was Dec 2024, later revised to Dec 14, 2025, for full system connectivity. Currently, all untreated sewage continues to be discharged into the Mandakini river due to the absence of a functional STP.
NGT had pulled up both the Rudraprayag administration and the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) for failing to act on environmental violations. The DM's affidavit had claimed that 85% of STP construction was complete.
Even if completed by year-end, environmentalists have raised concerns over the plant's limited capacity of 600 KLD (kilolitres per day). A petitioner pointed out that the design considered a permanent population of 5,000 and a floating population of 20,000 – a number regularly exceeded during the yatra.
Following the RTI revelations, UKPCB has asked the public works department (PWD) to explore increasing the proposed STP capacity. "Construction is being carried out under the Kedarnath Dham masterplan…However, many toilets outside the masterplan boundary are also being used by pilgrims. The nodal department needs to address these as well," wrote Vinay Jhinkwan, executive engineer, PWD, in a letter to the officer at special duty (OSD) of the Kedarnath Charitable Trust.