22/09/2026
SMIT Leads Stakeholder Consultation on Plastic Waste Management under Government of India-Supported LitterVision Project
Gangtok, September 21 : A Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on “Plastic Waste Management in Himalayan Tourism Routes” was successfully organised at the State Panchayat Resource Centre (SPRC), Deorali, Gangtok, as part of the Government of India-supported LitterVision Project – “AI and IoT Interventions for Plastic Waste Reduction in Amarnath and Nathula Himalayan Tourism Routes.”
The consultation was led by Dr. Hari Bhakta Sharma and Prof. Guru Prasad Sharma, Co-Investigators from Dept of Civil Engineering, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT), with participation from government departments, security forces, local governance institutions and community organisations. The workshop marked an important step towards developing technology-enabled, locally appropriate and scientifically informed solutions for plastic waste management in the ecologically fragile Himalayan tourism landscape.
The programme was attended by Joint Secretary Shri Roshan S***a, Rural Management and Development Department (RMDD); Lieutenant Colonel M. Shekhawat, 17 Mountain Division; Executive Engineer Shri Ranjan Rai, Sikkim Pollution Control Board (SPCB); Assistant Engineer Shri D. R. Dhakal and Junior Engineer Shri Rimon Lepcha, Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC); Assistant Director Madam Bimla Chettri, Commerce and Industries Department; Shri Tenzing Tashi, representing the State Waste Management Division of the Rural Development Department (RDD); honourable representatives of Nathang Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU), including Madam Tshering Yanzee; members of the Pokhari Sanrakshan Samiti, including Deeki Sherpa, Priyanka, and D. Maya Gurung along with other concerned stakeholders.
The LitterVision Project is a Government of India-supported research and pilot demonstration initiative sanctioned under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The project is being implemented by Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur and IIT Jammu, bringing together expertise in environmental engineering, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and technology-enabled environmental monitoring.
With SMIT as the implementing institution, the initiative places the Institute at the forefront of developing innovative approaches for addressing the growing challenge of plastic waste in Himalayan tourism destinations. The project focuses particularly on the Nathula tourism route in Sikkim and the Amarnath route, where high tourist footfall, difficult terrain, ecological sensitivity and limited waste-management infrastructure create distinctive challenges.
The LitterVision initiative seeks to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), smart data systems and digital tools to strengthen plastic waste identification, mapping, monitoring and management. The project aims to generate field-based evidence that can support improved waste collection systems, behavioural interventions, planning and decision-making while contributing to sustainable tourism and environmental protection in the Himalayan region.
The stakeholder consultation began with a welcome and introduction of the participating institutions, followed by an overview of the LitterVision Project. Dr. Hari Bhakta Sharma and Prof. Guru Prasad Sharma, P*s of the project from SMIT, presented the project’s objectives, scope, proposed interventions and implementation framework. They highlighted the importance of developing solutions that are scientifically robust while remaining practical, decentralised and adaptable to the unique geographical and operational conditions of Himalayan tourism routes.
Following the presentation by the SMIT project team, Prof. Sudip Mishra from IIT Kharagpur presented the project’s AI and technology innovation component. He explained how Artificial Intelligence and IoT-based systems would be integrated into the project to collect, process and analyse field data and transform it into actionable information for plastic waste management. He also elaborated on the development of project-specific datasets, smart digital tools and technology-enabled decision-support systems that can assist in identifying and mapping plastic waste, monitoring waste hotspots and supporting evidence-based interventions along the tourism routes.
Participants shared their field-level experiences, institutional perspectives and practical challenges relating to plastic waste generation, collection, transportation, disposal and monitoring in Himalayan tourism areas. Discussions particularly highlighted the challenges associated with managing waste in remote and environmentally sensitive terrain, as well as the need for stronger coordination among government agencies, local institutions, communities and technology partners.
The stakeholder inputs will contribute to the design, refinement and field implementation of the LitterVision interventions, ensuring that the proposed AI- and IoT-enabled solutions are not only technologically advanced but also responsive to the realities of Himalayan communities and tourism management.
The SMIT project team comprises Dr. Hari Bhakta Sharma and Prof. Guru Prasad Sharma as Investigators, and Dr. Nurendra Chhetri as Project Associate. The workshop concluded with an emphasis on continued collaboration among SMIT, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Jammu, government departments, security agencies, local governance institutions and community stakeholders for the successful implementation of the LitterVision Project. Through this project Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology is strengthening its role in applied research and technological innovation for addressing critical environmental challenges in the Himalayan region, while contributing to the broader national goals of sustainable development, responsible tourism and environmental protection.
