The ‘Carry Me Back’ campaign, spearheaded by the Rudraprayag district administration under the guidance of District Magistrate Vishal Mishra, is garnering widespread public support from pilgrims. Aimed at conserving the Himalayan environment and keeping the sacred site of Shri Kedarnath Dham clean, beautiful, and garbage-free, this innovative initiative—run jointly by the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat, Healing Himalayas Foundation, and Sulabh International—has already facilitated the removal of approximately two tonnes of waste from the shrine area, thanks to the cooperation of pilgrims and volunteers. The campaign has emerged as an exemplary model of environmental conservation and public-participation-based cleanliness management. Devotees are being encouraged not to leave behind the plastic water bottles, food wrappers, and other non-biodegradable waste they bring with them, but rather to carry them back down.

Personnel and volunteers deployed along the pilgrimage route and at Shri Kedarnath Dham are continuously conducting public awareness drives to convey messages regarding cleanliness and environmental conservation; the positive impact of these efforts is now clearly visible.

Anil Singh Rawat, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Ukhimath, stated that maintaining the cleanliness of Kedarnath Dham and preserving the Himalayan ecosystem is a collective responsibility. He noted that the increasing participation of pilgrims in the ‘Carry Me Back’ campaign is highly encouraging. The fact that approximately two tonnes of waste have been brought down from the shrine serves as proof that significant, positive change is possible through public cooperation. District Magistrate Vishal Mishra remarked that maintaining the cleanliness of Shri Kedarnath Dham is not solely the administration’s duty but a shared responsibility of society as a whole.

He added that the ‘Carry Me Back’ campaign has not only raised awareness about environmental conservation but also presented an effective model for waste management driven by public participation. The district administration will continue to encourage such eco-friendly initiatives in the future. Representatives from the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat, Healing Himalayas Foundation, and Sulabh International stated that extensive public awareness programs would be conducted in the coming days to involve more pilgrims in the campaign and ensure the shrine remains completely clean and free of garbage. The district administration has appealed to all pilgrims to actively participate in preserving the sanctity of Shri Kedarnath Dham and the natural heritage of the Himalayas, and to contribute to the success of this campaign by carrying the waste they generate back down to Gauri Kund. Driven by the resolve that “one’s waste is one’s own responsibility,” this campaign is proving to be a significant step towards a clean Kedarnath.