The Himalayan region is often imagined as a land of vast alpine meadows and rugged mountain slopes, home to rich and unique wildlife. This timeless image, however, is slowly fading. Today, many of these meadows are littered with plastic, leftover food, and human waste. Even the most remote corners of the Himalayas are no longer untouched, revealing how deep human neglect has reached. Landscapes that should remain pristine and sacred are quietly being transformed into garbage-strewn terrains, threatening the very ecosystems that define the Himalayas.
During a recent survey in the Rudranath-Tungnath area of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary under an ANRF-SERB funded project on Himalayan tahr, camera traps revealed a troubling reality — the Himalayan tahr is now forced to feed in garbage-filled meadows. The waste left behind by trekkers and temporary camps has invaded their natural habitat, showing how we humans are stealing their home.
Alpine meadows and subalpine forests, already susceptible to climate change and habitat fragmentation, are now facing an additional burden of unmanaged waste from rapidly growing tourism. These disturbances are leading to gradual habitat degradation and posing serious threats to wild and endemic species of the Himalayas.
With the rapid increase in pilgrimage tourism and trekking activities, waste generation has risen sharply, while proper systems for collection and safe disposal remain weak or absent. Popular routes such as Rudranath and Tungnath in Uttarakhand receive thousands of visitors each season, yet most trekking points lack adequate waste bins, segregation facilities, designated collection centres, and toilets, resulting in widespread dumping of common waste materials directly in alpine meadows.
The easy access to food waste at dumping sites changes the natural behaviour of wild animals, drawing them away from their natural foraging areas and into unsafe, human-made waste zones. Temporary food stalls and trek endpoints often generate enough leftover food to create regular feeding spots for wildlife. This unmanaged waste degrades soil quality, pollutes water sources, and speeds up habitat damage in high-altitude regions. As a result of human activities, natural habitats are being destroyed, forcing wild animals to survive and feed in garbage-filled landscapes rather than in their natural environments.
The ongoing problem stems from weak waste management practices, from unregulated roadside eateries to trekkers irresponsibly discarding plastic along the trails.
Many seasonal hotels either burn their garbage or dump it down hillsides, while tourists frequently ignore carry-back rules despite clear signboards. Meanwhile, forest departments often do not have sufficient staff to supervise all routes effectively.
If left unaddressed, these waste dumps may create “ecological traps” — areas that appear beneficial because of food availability but ultimately endanger species survival.
Wildlife conditioned to human waste can lose natural foraging skills, alter movement patterns, and face increased mortality risks.
Addressing this problem needs joint effort from the Forest Department, local people, trekking groups, and tourists. The Forest Department is already taking steps to manage waste and protect wildlife. However, careless disposal of garbage by visitors still adds pressure on this fragile Himalayan ecosystem. If tourists act responsibly, the mountains can remain clean and safe for wildlife.
The Himalayas are more than trekking destinations — they are vibrant, living ecosystems whose survival relies on responsible tourism, efficient management, and collective effort. Without immediate action, these fragile alpine environments risk crossing an irreversible tipping point.
Aeiman Hafeez is a PhD Scholar and Junior Research Fellow, ANRF-funded Himalayan Tahr Project, Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University
Orus Ilyas is Professor and Principal Investigator, ANRF-funded Himalayan Tahr Project, Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth