From Waste to Wonder: How a Marble Slurry Dump Became an Unexpected Tourist Site in Rajasthan

In western India’s Rajasthan state, farmer Bagharam Gurjar works his maize field as the sound of his wife’s chronic cough unsettles him. “Everything gets ruined when dust settles on the soil,” he says, barely looking up. “May God make everything right,” his wife replies between bouts of coughing. “Otherwise, it becomes difficult to grow crops.”

The Gurjars are among nearly 5,000 people living near what has become one of India’s most unusual tourist attractions.

Their village, Bhogiyawas, lies just 6 km (4 miles) from Kishangarh, where a 300‑acre (121‑hectare) marble‑slurry dumping yard resembles a snow‑clad landscape, drawing hundreds of visitors each day in an otherwise arid region. Locally known as the “Snow Yard”, the landfill in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district is the largest of its kind in Asia. Its pristine white hills and water‑filled pits provide a surreal backdrop for tourists, who enjoy free entry to the site. Newlyweds pose for photos against the snowy backdrop or the blue artificial lake, while couples soon to marry hold pre‑wedding shoots. Social‑media influencers flood the site to create reels, and music videos and films are frequently shot there.

“Everyone, right from my five‑year‑old niece to my mother, loves it very much. Their first impression was that this looks like Kashmir,” says Salim Shahzada, a businessman from Uttar Pradesh, echoing the region’s resemblance to Indian‑administered Kashmir. Shahzada visited several times and brought his family along this time, unaware of the health and environmental hazards linked to the dump.

“I do not have much knowledge about this place or its ill effects. I only know that this is where marble cutting waste is dumped and that the hill itself is made of this waste,” he admits.

Kishangarh, a hub for marble and granite processing, hosts roughly 1,200 units with a daily business value exceeding 160 million rupees ($1.7 million) and provides employment to about 25,000 people, according to the Federation of Indian Granite and Stone Industry.

Each day, nearly 1,000 tankers transport slurry from these units and unload roughly 5,500 tonnes of waste at the government‑allotted dump. For nearby residents, the site has become a serious health hazard.

Gurjar says the yard affects at least six villages. “How many problems can I even tell you about? If there were just one or two, we could deal with them,” he laments. “But almost everything is going wrong because of the dumping yard. People like me suffer from chest infections, dental problems and skin allergies. It does not matter whether they are children or elderly; everyone is suffering.” He and his wife regularly take medication for chest infections and skin ailments.

Dr. Aditi Goyal, a general physician at Ajmer’s Ganga Narayan Hospital, reports that Kishangarh residents face numerous health risks, primarily respiratory and skin problems. Workers in the marble processing units are especially vulnerable to chronic illnesses due to prolonged exposure to toxic dust.

“Over the past couple of years, cases of respiratory problems have increased significantly in this area because people are exposed to dust from the dumping yard,” Goyal tells Al Jazeera. “Dust from industrial waste is not the only issue. Farmers in Kishangarh also suffer infections caused by dust that settles on the soil,” she adds, advising mask use for protection.

The same dust settles on fields, hardening the soil and impeding crop growth.

A study led by Laxmi Kant Sharma, professor of environmental science at the Central University of Rajasthan, found lead‑silicate concentrations in Kishangarh’s soil several times higher than normal, indicating extreme contamination. “Since the waste particles are smaller than 75 micrometres, they can spread far and wide, making the soil infertile,” the research states.

The study also reports that PM2.5 levels exceed ambient air‑quality standards. “Several people may be suffering from silicosis. The government needs to take immediate action to prevent the situation from getting out of hand,” it warns.

Ugam Singh, a 65‑year‑old resident of Bhogiyawas, recalls a time before the continuous slurry dumping altered the landscape and community life. “Nowadays, the situation has worsened to such an extent that even groundwater is no longer fit for consumption,” he says. “The fluoride levels in the water are so high that it tastes salty. My teeth have started decaying and my bones have become weak,” he adds, pointing to his pale, pitted teeth.

Singh says villagers have repeatedly complained to authorities, including officials of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB), but their pleas have gone unanswered. “It does not matter which government is in power. No one listens to the poor. To make the rich richer, the government sacrifices the interests of people like us. It feels as though our lives have no value,” he laments.

“Even today all we want is for this marble slurry dumping to stop so that we can breathe freely again and our fields can become green and productive once more.”

Singh also claims that if all surrounding villages were examined, almost every household would have someone with a respiratory condition such as asthma.

Last year, local environmentalist Drupad Malik filed a case with the National Green Tribunal over the harmful health and environmental impacts of the Kishangarh dump. The tribunal observed that unregulated marble‑slurry dumping was contaminating groundwater and air, directing the RSPCB to enforce monitoring, conduct inspections and penalise units violating environmental norms.

Al Jazeera reached a senior RSPCB official at the Kishangarh regional office, but she declined to comment.

Central University’s Sharma says the areas surrounding the Kishangarh dump are unfit for human settlement. He shared his research with state authorities, but no measures have been taken to improve environmental conditions. “There is a dire need to shift the dumping yard to another place where there is no human contact. This area has become extremely toxic and vulnerable to severe diseases. I am surprised that people are allowed to visit the site without masks and even have food there,” he notes. “I have forwarded several suggestions, including installing tile units, as marble slurry is used in tile manufacturing. This could, to some extent, help reduce pollution in Kishangarh,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Ram Lal, a resident of Tokra village about a 15‑minute drive from Bhogiyawas, urged the government to find an alternative dumping site. “Kishangarh is full of slurry, and it is time to shift the dumping yard out of here to some other place where no one will suffer for at least two to three decades,” he told Al Jazeera. “We also demand that free medical camps be set up to assess people whose health has declined because of the fine dust particles that have been flying in the air and settling here for years,” he added. “No one from our village can afford it if someone develops a disease that costs thousands of rupees to treat.”

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