Spiti’s Fragile Ecology at Risk as Kaza Dumping Yard Remains Ablaze for a Week

himachaleditor November 5, 2026 2 minutes read

Shimla, Nov 4

Garbage has reportedly been burning continuously for the past week at the Kaza dumping yard, raising serious environmental concerns in the ecologically fragile Spiti Valley and bringing the functioning of the local waste management system under scrutiny.

The incident has triggered questions over the response of the local administration and the authority operating the dumping facility, particularly when the Himachal Pradesh High Court, National Green Tribunal (NGT) and various environmental organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over environmental protection and scientific waste management in the Himalayan region.

Kesang Rapchik, member of the Tribal Advisory Council and president of the Lahaul-Spiti Youth Congress, alleged that despite repeated environmental warnings, the local administration and the operating authority had failed to prevent the open burning of garbage at the Kaza dumping site.

He said the continuous emission of smoke from burning waste posed a potential threat to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, local wildlife and the health of residents. He questioned how such practices could continue in an environmentally sensitive region where several organisations and government agencies have been advocating scientific waste management and protection of the Himalayan environment.

Rapchik also questioned the silence of the Healing Himalayas organisation, which has been associated with cleanliness campaigns and environmental protection initiatives in the region. He sought to know why the organisation and the local administration had not intervened effectively to address the continuing problem.

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He demanded immediate intervention by the Spiti administration to extinguish the fire, ensure scientific disposal of accumulated waste and fix responsibility for allowing garbage to burn for several days.

He said environmental protection could not remain confined to cleanliness campaigns and public claims while open burning of municipal waste continued at the headquarters of Spiti.

The incident has once again brought the effectiveness of waste management arrangements in Kaza under scrutiny, raising questions about the enforcement of environmental safeguards and accountability of the authorities responsible for maintaining sanitation in the fragile Himalayan region.