Environment activist demands complete ban on use of tobacco products at Kedarnath

Dehradun, Jun 23 (PTI) A Noida-based environment activist on Monday demanded a complete ban on the sale and use of cigarettes, gutkha and other tobacco products at the Kedarnath temple and the yatra route from Sonprayag to the shrine.
     In a letter to the Uttarakhand chief secretary, activist Amit Gupta said that despite various rules in place, only 24 people have been fined of Rs 2,200 for the tobacco-related offences till June 15 this year.
     He stressed on the need for a strict ban on the sale and consumption of tobacco products near the temple, claiming that such items are being sold openly along the route.     
     "As a concerned citizen and nature volunteer I bring to your kind attention the urgent need for a strict ban on the sale, consumption, and littering of cigarettes, gutkha, and other tobacco products in and around Kedarnath Dham, including the entire yatra route from Sonprayag to the shrine," Gupta said in the letter.
     "Kedarnath ji is not only one of the most revered Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, but also situated in an ecologically sensitive Himalayan zone that demands the highest levels of cleanliness and spiritual sanctity," he said.
     He said despite various rules in place, his latest RTI query has revealed that cigarettes, gutkha and other tobacco products are openly being sold at key points along the route to Kedarnath.
     "Plastic pouches and cigarette butts are being littered, damaging the fragile environment and polluting the sacred surroundings," he said, adding such substances violate the devotional atmosphere and often lead to health and fire safety risks in high-altitude conditions.
     "I respectfully urge the Uttarakhand government to impose a total ban on the sale, possession, and use of gutkha, cigarettes, and tobacco products in the Kedarnath region (Sonprayag, Gaurikund, Kedarnath base, and yatra route)," he wrote in the letter.
     Gupta also demanded deployment of strict enforcement teams on the route and introduction of heavy penalties or fines for defaulters.
     An awareness campaign should also be launched for pilgrims and local stakeholders regarding tobacco hazards and environmental responsibility, the activist said.
     "A sacred place like Kedarnath Dham should be preserved with the highest degree of reverence, ensuring it remains a smoke-free and gutkha-free pilgrimage zone for current and future generations," he said.
     Citing information provided by Kotwali Sonprayag in response to an RTI query filed by him, Gupta said 174 people were fined a total of Rs 19,850 under the COTPA Act, or the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, in Kedarnath in 2024.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)