'Even at 13,000ft we have left our marks': Pond on Manimahesh Yatra route turns into garbage dump; viral video sparks outrage

SHIMLA: A video shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan has gone viral, triggering widespread outrage after it showed a water body in Himachal Pradesh littered with plastic bottles and other waste.The footage captures the garbage left behind by pilgrims during the Manimahesh Yatra. The waste, including plastic bottles and other debris, was found at an altitude of around 13,000 feet. Sharing the video, Kaswan wrote, “Do you really think Hills are calling us!! This is a view from Manimahesh Yatra, Himachal Pradesh. Even at 13,000 feet, we are leaving our marks.”Social media users reacted strongly, criticising tourists and pilgrims for their careless behaviour and raising concerns about environmental damage at high-altitude sites.This is not the first time such incidents have been reported. Several videos shared online in the past have highlighted the growing problem of litter and waste in Himachal Pradesh’s popular pilgrimage and trekking destinations.One user wrote, " It’s a shame that people are so determined to destroy hills or, to be more precise, ecologically fragile areas. Is Bhagwan actually happy with such pilgrimages?."Another user wrote, " Humans are worst for nature! Its so pathetic.""Humans are Responsible and they always Find a way to escape out. We take responsibility that we Couldn't Clean it. Sorry, " another user wrote.“Indians are the worst-behaved civilians in the world. We’ve got no sense of cleanliness and public order. Horrible,” a user wrote. “Until there is some semblance of waste management promoting unabated tourism will only result in scenes like the one you show,” another user commented.