The Himachal Pradesh High Court has criticised the Manali Municipal Council’s move for carrying over more than 300 kilometres of untreated waste to Haryana’s Ambala, and observed that it would only add to environmental pollution along the National Highway.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi, was hearing a matter — on May 15 — related to the unscientific disposal and treatment of legacy waste in Manali’s Rangri. “We do not appreciate the action as such of Municipal Council, Manali for carrying of the wet waste to Ambala, which is apparently over 300 kms away. Therefore, carrying wet waste to Ambala would further pollute the whole highway,” the bench observed.

The order came during the hearing of three collective matters pertaining to the unscientific disposal of legacy and solid waste at Rangri — which is around 3km from Manali.

The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board’s (HPSPCB) inspection report, dated April 13, highlighted serious deficiencies in waste management operations which was carried out by Manali’s Municipal Council and private firm M/s Suntan Life Pvt Ltd — a Haryana-based company which operates in the waste collection, treatment and disposal activities.

The court has directed the Executive Officer (Manali, Municipal Council) along with an authorised representative of the private company to remain present on the next date of hearing.

The matter has now been listed for July 8, 2026.

Going heavily on the Manali civic body, the high court remarked, “The Municipal Corporation Manali had not achieved 100 per cent source segregation from the concerned area as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and wet waste was lying in open area without any treatment and generating leachate and one pit which was provided for leachate, is not functional. It is submitted that the unit is sending the wet waste to the bio-gas plant at Jatwar… Manali has not provided wet waste treatment plant.”

Jatwar is a village near Shahzadpur block under Naraingarh subdivision in district Ambala — Jatwar is approximately 319km away from Manali.

It was also brought to the court’s notice that untreated leachate and waste was dumped near Gau Sadan close to the Beas river — with the leachate reportedly flowing directly into the river. Leachate collection pits were found empty and no proper treatment mechanism was in place.

The inspection report said that the mixed waste received at the Rangri plant from various hotspots was causing foul smell in the area, while proper odour and fly control systems were not in place. The report also revealed that against a total legacy waste stock of 78,464 tonnes, the Haryana-based company had processed only 32,778.46 tonnes till January 2026.

The bench took note of the fact that nearly 85 per cent of waste reaching the plant was mixed waste, while only 15 per cent was segregated at source. The court observed that the company was not carrying out bio-mining scientifically and was violating prescribed waste management guidelines.

An official of the firm in Himachal told The Indian Express, “We transport the waste in the shape of compost from Manali to Ambala in Haryana because we don’t have the screening capacity to make the waste into the size of 6mm, which is ideal for agricultural purposes. The wet waste in the shape of compost is not transported everyday. It took around one month to convert the waste into compost and then transport it to Ambala. In Ambala and its nearby areas, the demand of the processed compost for agricultural purposes is very large.”

In view of these violations, environmental compensation of Rs 15.30 lakh was already imposed upon the Manali civic body for discharge of untreated leachate into the Beas river. Additionally, another environmental compensation of Rs 2,83,07,591 was levied upon the Municipal Council for unscientific disposal of solid waste at the concerned sites.

The HC also noted that both the Executive Officer of Manali civic body and representatives of the company had failed to deposit the environmental compensation amount despite being asked through a video communication dated February 26, 2026.

The counsel appearing for Municipal Council and the company sought time before the court to file a status report explaining the proposed measures to reduce the legacy waste burden.