Modi's Call For Cleanliness Remains Unheard At Rohtang

MANALI: The higher reaches of the Himalayas are virtually turning into an open air garbage dump. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for cleanliness seems yet to reach these lofty heights.

"It's surprising to see garbage littered here and there in this fragile ecosystem," Aditya Gosh, a tourist from Kolkata, remarked.

"It seems the tourists here leave everything except footprints," Ghosh told IANS, while pointing towards non-biodegradable waste dumped carelessly along the banks of the glacial-fed Beas river near Marhi, en route to the Rohtang Pass from Manali, located at an altitude of 13,050 feet and 52 km from here,

His wife Pragya was horrified to see the amount of garbage like polythene and paper bags, empty beer and liquor bottles, food sachets and clothes dumped carelessly in the mountains.

"I think this highly sensitive ecosystem has failed to catch the attention of Modi's clean-up campaigns," she said.

The picturesque Rohtang Pass, located in the Pir Panjal range, is a major attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists.

According to the tourism department, more than 100,000 tourists visit the Rohtang Pass every year and tourism, including skiing, trekking and paragliding, is a key source of income for the local people.