Agence France-Presse reported on the 17th that a marble waste dump in India has unexpectedly become an internet-famous check-in spot due to its appearance resembling a snow-covered 'valley,' attracting many tourists, film crews and social media influencers, but its safety is also a concern.
The report said the dump, located in Kishangarh, a marble-processing hub in Rajasthan in western India, receives more than 5,500 tons of waste from more than 1,200 processing plants every day. After rain, pools of bright blue form between the white waste heaps. Spread through social media, the site quickly became an internet sensation, with couples flocking there for wedding photos, and film crews and bands coming to shoot. The Hindustan Times reported that the dump attracts about 5,000 people a day, and as many as 20,000 on weekends.
However, the safety of this 'snow scene' is highly controversial. The chairman of the Kishangarh Marble Association told the BBC that the site 'has passed more than ten pollution tests' and that local tourism development authorities have approved its development as a tourist attraction. But multiple studies have found that the salinity, hardness and heavy metal content of surrounding water bodies are seriously excessive. Researchers pointed out that insufficient pollution controls and the disorderly piling of marble waste have seriously affected the health of nearby residents.
Many residents living near the dump directly warned: 'We strongly advise against going to this place. This is marble dust, highly "toxic," and can cause permanent and irreversible damage. Local residents are already suffering.' Others said photographers and influencers usually use color-grading techniques to make photos look beautiful, but reality is far from what appears on screen.
Facing the growing pollution problem, India's National Green Tribunal has ordered the Kishangarh Marble Association and local government departments to take remediation measures, including deploying mechanical sweepers on industrial-zone roads to control dust, investigating and severely punishing illegal dumping sites, and ensuring waste is disposed of only at officially designated dumps.
Source: Global Times | Original
