SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has questioned the logic behind the Manali Municipal Council transporting wet waste all the way to a biogas plant in Jatwar, Ambala. The court observed that instead of reducing pollution, this practice aggravates it by spreading stench along the 300-kilometer route and causing vehicular pollution due to the long distance.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice B C Negi issued these directions after hearing a public interest litigation (PIL). The court has ordered the Executive Officer of the Manali Municipal Council and the authorized representative of M/s Suntan Life Private Limited to appear in person on the next date of hearing.
Perusing the records, the bench noted that an inspection conducted on February 21, 2026, in the presence of municipal representatives, revealed a foul smell spreading in the surrounding areas due to mixed waste received at the plant from hotspots. There was also a lack of proper odor and fly control systems.
The court further noted that the Manali Municipal Council had failed to achieve 100% source segregation in the area as required under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Wet waste was left in the open without any treatment, generating leachate. A pit constructed for leachate collection was also found to be non-functional, and the municipal council has failed to provide a wet waste treatment plant.
According to the report submitted to the court, the total legacy waste stood at 78,464 tonnes, out of which M/s Suntan Life Private Limited had processed only 32,778.46 tonnes till January 2026. The court found that the company was not carrying out the bio-mining process scientifically and was violating necessary guidelines. This waste was found near the Beas river, close to a gosadan (cattle shelter), and untreated waste was discharging directly into the river.
Furthermore, the leachate collection pits were found empty, and there was no system in place to treat it. Under these circumstances, the High Court has imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 15,30,000 on the Manali Municipal Council for discharging untreated leachate into the Beas river.
An affidavit submitted to the court included a tabular chart of the legacy waste, showing that 45,685.54 tonnes of old waste is still left to be processed. The court has additionally slapped a penalty of Rs 2,83,07,591 on the Manali Municipal Council for the unscientific disposal of solid waste at the sites.
