'This ugliness must stop': Author blasts tourists after liquor bottles found in Ganga at Rishikesh

Hindol Sengupta, author and international relations professor, on Sunday raised alarm over pollution along the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh, calling out the damage caused by reckless tourism. Sharing an image of garbage and empty liquor bottles collected by the Himadri Foundation, Sengupta said the situation reflects a disturbing side of Indian tourism.

“This photo is from the Himadri Foundation which removes liquor bottles thrown by 'tourists, campers, rafters etc.' into Ma Ganga at Rishikesh. AT RISHIKESH! This is the face of 'tourism' in India as summer comes again. This ugliness must stop. Save Devbhoomi, Save Ma Ganga,” he wrote on X.

The image showed black garbage bags and several empty alcohol bottles stacked on a concrete platform by the river, with the Trimbakeshwar temple and surrounding hills visible in the background. 

Reacting to the post, Delhi-based lawyer Nikhil Mehra said, “This can't be avoided given state policy liquor. The whole thing is designed to keep low level alcoholism constantly going.”

To this, Sengupta replied, “States finances in areas like Uttarakhand are in dire crisis as they have lacked, and lack even today, a wholistic sustainable development policy. So shady liquor policy are bad fixes to a worse problem.”

The post has drawn renewed attention to incidents of irresponsible tourist behaviour in Uttarakhand. In September 2024, Nature View Villa, a homestay in Nainital, shared a video of their property left in disarray by guests from Delhi-NCR.

“We recently hosted a group from Delhi NCR at our homestay… But last night changed our minds,” the owners wrote. The video showed rooms strewn with alcohol bottles, cigarette butts, and dirty dishes. “They checked out without informing us... They broke our television. Damaged our bedsheets and blankets, and now they are refusing to pay any charges.”

The post ended with a message to future guests: “Our homestays are deeply cherished... Please be responsible. Treat our homes as if it were your own.”

The incident triggered outrage on social media, with many users demanding the guests be publicly named and held accountable.