Environmental Group Reports One Of World’s Highest Ski Areas Threatened By Garbage (20-Jul-09)

Gulmarg in India, the world’s highest major ski area, is facing a “tough battle”

Gulmarg in India, the world’s highest major ski area, is facing a “tough battle” in dealing with non-biodegradable waste such as disgarded plastic water bottles and packaging material according to a report from environmental groups. The waste lies scattered beneath the route of the gondola, the world’s third highest, reaching around 4,000m.

 “Affarwat and its adjoining slopes have many hot-shot spots of very fragile bio-diversity and the hazardous waste is a direct threat to some of the rare medicinal and other plant species that grow here,” says environmentalist M.R.D Kundangar.

 “Hazardous elements released from this waste matter over a period of time directly effect the local ecology, with the result that soon we may lose many sensitive varieties of medicinal plants,”  Kundangar told local media.

The use of polythene bags is reported to be banned in Gulmarg, but the ban is not being enforced according to visitors.

Resort management, who blamed the build up of waste under the gondola on the separate lift operating company, are now reported to be considering banning plastic bottles too. An alternative plan will see visitors charged a deposit on plastic bottles taken up in the gondola which will be refunded if the bottles are brought back for disposal at the bottom of the lift.

There are no known plans to collect and remove the waste that has so far accumulated on the mountainside.