OdishaPlus Bureau
The Puri administration has initiated steps to stop the use of plastic water bottles during next year’s car festival. It has sought suggestions from people for a plastic-free Rath Yatra.
‘Request (you) to give practical suggestions on how to ensure drinking water without plastic covers for devotees who will be competing for Jagannath Darshan and will not be able to move towards water points,’ Puri collector Balwant Singh has tweeted.
Singh said the district administration had distributed drinking water in plastic bottles to devotees this time, and the disposal of the plastic waste was a big challenge. More than 200 tons of plastic waste had been generated between the Rath Yatra on July 4 and the Bahuda Yatra on July 12. The administration had to mobilize hundreds of sweepers, volunteers and trucks to clear the waste.
This year the district administration had stopped the use of water in plastic pouches distributed the devotees. The water pouches choked the drains and pollution was seen all around in Puri post-Rath Yatra. The collector said he had received a number of suggestions on Twitter to make the Rath Yatra plastic-free. “Some people suggested the deployment of water tankers and taps. It will be hard for people to approach the tankers. I am exploring the feasibility of biodegradable paper pouches that can contain water,” Singh said.
To effectively handle the plastic waste, an expert agency will be roped in to segregate the plastic from solid waste and crush the plastic. small vendors, hoteliers, and restaurateurs will be sensitized to reduce the use of plastic and polythene bags. It may be recalled that ‘Mo Beach’ cleanliness campaign on the Puri beach has been launched recently.