'Toxic tourist destination': Scenic marble waste site in Rajasthan draws visitors, experts flag health hazard

Kishangarh (Rajasthan): Endless white plains glowing under the sun, no pine trees, no chill in the air, yet the scenery looks straight out of a winter postcard. Many confuse it for Bolivia's Salt Flats, snow-clad Gulmarg or even scenic Switzerland.

This picturesque location, which has become a popular reel destination, is Asia's largest marble waste dumping yard in Kishangarh in Ajmer district of arid Rajasthan.

The dumping site, where over 700 tankers carrying around 22 lakh litres of marble slurry are emptied every day, attracts at least 5,000 visitors on a daily basis, with the footfall going up to 20,000 on weekends and holidays.

Due to its pristine white appearance, the dumping yard, spread over 350 acres, has also become a popular destination for pre-wedding and commercial shoots. Environmentalists and health experts, however, have flagged it as not just a health hazard but also a pollution hotspot.

Scientific studies conducted by the Central University of Rajasthan have flagged it as a "toxic tourist destination", documenting the health and ecological impacts of this unregulated dumping. The concerns also reached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which set up a joint committee including members from state and central pollution control boards.

"Despite its scale and impact, the dumping yard is being operated in rampant violation of basic environmental safeguards. There is no engineered liner system, no decanting wells, no dust suppression mechanisms, no monitoring of air or groundwater, and no protective green belt.

"These failures have led to severe contamination of groundwater, degradation of agricultural land and high levels of fugitive dust pollution, thereby endangering public health," Laxmi Kant Sharma, Environmental Science professor at Central University of Rajasthan, told PTI.

Sharma noted that the university's studies have found that the toxic contamination of water sources in the vicinity is reflected in total dissolved solid escalating 10 times above the safe limit in a 6-km radius of the dumping site.

"The concentration of lead silicate in soil and nitrate and fluoride concentrations in water were found several times higher than normal levels, indicating extreme contamination. Our study also found that the concentration of PM2.5 exceeds the limit of ambient air quality standards of PM2.5," he said.

"Since the waste particles are smaller than 75 micrometres, they can spread far and wide, making the soil infertile. Several people may be suffering from silicosis. The government needs to take immediate action to prevent the situation from getting out of hand," he added.

The Kishangarh marble industry was established in the 1980s. Some 30 years ago, the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) allotted two dumping plots to the Kishangarh Marble Association (KMA). And that is when the first marble waste was dumped here and the slurry accumulated to the extent that it formed white plateaus and mountains.

Today, there are over 1,200 marble cutting units in the city.

For years, nobody paid attention. The location shot into the limelight after comedian Kapil Sharma shot a song here for his debut film "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon" in 2016.

Then, more and more celebrities started turning up. Nora Fatehi shot her song "Chhor Denge" here, Honey Singh and Nushrratt Bharuccha came for the "Saiyaan ji" music video, and Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor shot "Dus Bahane" song for Baaghi 3.

The place also caught the attention of pre-wedding photographers, who started bringing couples here to capture them against the white landscapes and blue ponds.

The KMA came up with an innovative model of turning the dumping yard into a tourist destination, which also has a helipad now.

While entry for visitors is free, they do need to obtain a pass from the KMA office, about a kilometre away. A visitor entering with a single digital camera must pay Rs 500, a pre-wedding shoot costs Rs 5,100 a day and a commercial shoot costs up to Rs 21,000 a day.

"The revenue is used to maintain the dumping yard. We have made changing rooms for those coming for shoots. There is a helipad too. There are restaurants and options for recreational activities. The dumping yard has put Kishangarh on the national tourism map," said KMA president Sudhir Jain.

"We have not received any health-related complaints from any tourist. In fact, the NGT also did not find anything hazardous here. We have been issued some guidelines for maintaining the area and we will follow them," Jain added.

When this PTI reporter visited the site, she could not find a single person wearing a mask. Several children, who came with their parents and grandparents, were seen rubbing their eyes.

The dumping yard has it all for its visitors -- horses, jeeps, kiosks for sunglasses and other photo props. Those managing these activities were seen covering their faces with towels and eyes with sunglasses.

Lined on the side are several restaurants with a 'chaupati' theme where visitors relish delicacies, even as winds blow marble dust. The place also has a dedicated kids zone with various swings and activities available for children to enjoy a fun day.

Tankers carrying marble waste could be seen arriving every 10 minutes to offload the slurry waste, but it meant little to tourists who come here nonetheless to click perfect selfies.

"We saw so many videos online where people were calling this place mini Switzerland. So, when we were taking a trip to Rajasthan, we had to come here for sure. It is beautiful and amazingly scenic," said Ashok Puri from Ahmedabad, who was visiting the dumping yard with his family.

Farmers in the nearby villages, including Tokra, Bhojiyawas, Rahimpura, Phaloda, Mohanpura and Kali Dungri, point out that the marble dust often settles on their agricultural land and mixes with irrigation water, affecting crop production.

"A white layer of marble dust often covers our crops. Ultimately, the production is low. Since my farms are very close to the dumping yard, last year the slurry ran into them and formed a thick layer on my field, making it unfit for sowing," said Mandraj, who now runs a tea stall.

Kishangarh MLA Vikas Chaudhary, however, said the dumping yard is maintained well by the KMA and attracts tourists from across the country.

"The machinery that is being used by the industry now generates less waste. The marble association is doing a very good job of maintaining the dumping yard and Kishangarh is being seen as a popular tourist destination. However, if there are any pollution or health concerns, we are open to addressing them," he said.