With chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Bam Bam Bhole’, the annual Kanwar Yatra culminated. Around 48.04 million Kanwar pilgrims collected holy Ganga water from Haridwar and departed for their respective
destinations.
But now, Haridwar is in a fix: It needs to clean the trash that lies across the sacred ghats of the Ganga.
As Kanwariyas left after Shivratri, they left behind heaps of trash. According to a News18 Hindi report, approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage have accumulated across the Mela Ground. To tackle the situation, the Municipal Corporation and the district administration have decided to launch a special cleanliness drive until August 18.
Visuals that are making rounds online showed discarded clothing including underwear, bottles filled with urine, and Kanwar structures lying around the area as locals voiced their concerns over the unhygienic conditions.
Kanwar Yatra concludes in Haridwar…
Millions of devotees of Lord Shiva, Kanwariya’s attain salvation leaving behind 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage, undergarments, bottles filled with Urine across Ganga ghat and Har Ki Pauri.
Har Har Mahadev ????????🔱 pic.twitter.com/Nw8001IY3T
— D (@Deb_livnletliv) August 12, 2026
Conditions at Haridwar’s Har ki Pauri –– the most popular of the over hundred ghats in Haridwar –– weren’t any better. In women’s changing rooms across the ghat, urine bottles along with giant heaps of garbage were found.
कांवड़यात्रा के बाद-
उत्तराखंड- हरिद्वार में कांवड़ के लिए गंगाजल भरने के लिए इस बार 4.8 करोड़ कांवड़ियां आया. इन कांवड़ियों ने 7000 मीट्रिक टन कचरा गंगाघाटों पर छोड़ा है.
महिलाओं के चेन्जिंग रूम कचरा और मलमूत्र से भरे हुए मिले है. पेशाब से भरी हुई बोतलें चेन्जिंग रूम में लटकी… pic.twitter.com/W9FblPp4G4
— Narendra Pratap (@hindipatrakar) August 12, 2026
Discarded slippers were seen scattered across the area as cleaners were seen removing the garbage using a shovel.
Special Cleanliness Campaign
Under the orders of Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar, a special cleanliness drive is being undertaken between August 12 and 18, News18 Hindi reported.
Approximately 1,000 special sanitation workers have been brought in from outside, and more than 80 vehicles have been deployed to transport the garbage. In perhaps a first, drone cameras are being used to identify sanitation issues and piles of garbage, so that cleaning teams can be dispatched immediately to ensure prompt cleanup.
Trials for ‘solar censor’ dustbins have begun. These dustbins are designed to send out alerts once they are filled with garbage. Local NGOs, civil society groups, and ‘Swachhta Doots‘ have been deployed at the ghats. They are not only managing operations on the ground but also creating awareness among the public.
