MAKE HARISHANKAR FORESTS POLYTHENE-FREE’Wednesday, 13 August 2014 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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‘MAKE HARISHANKAR FORESTS POLYTHENE-FREE’

Wednesday, 13 August 2014 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Use eco-friendly plates, cups

The Harishankar temple located in the Gandhmardan hills be made polythene-free to save its ecosystem from further degradation, demanded the locals as well as environmentalists here.

 Everyday hundreds of visitors visit the shrine, but they throw away many polythene bags, liquor bottles and other items here and there, polluting the atmosphere, pointed out Gandhmardarn Surakshya Action Committee president Tikendra Jal.

The outfit is committed to the safety of the ecology of the verdant hills, which have a lot of socio-cultural, economic and environmental significance. Everyday around 1,500 people are taking the Bhog (launch) at the Harishankar temple and plates (Khali) and cup made up of polythene are used for the purpose.

According to our conservative estimate, a total of 2,000 plates and 6,000 cup are used, which are just dumped hither and thither, posing a grave threat to the ecology of the hills, Jal said.

The use of the polythene coated plates and cup should be stopped to make Harishankar in Gandhmardan a polythene free zone, demanded Jal. He opined that rather than polythene coated plates, leaf plates prepared by local SHG groups from locally available Sial leaves should be used. “The Sial leaf plates are eco-friendly and their use would provide livelihood support to the rural SHG women and other members of surrounding villages,” Jal explained.

We have formed SHG in eight villages of Nandupala gram panchayat and the SHGs are ready to provide Sial leaf plates and cups to the Harishankar Mandir every day.

Moreover, we also urge the hotels/shops adjacent to the shrine to stop selling of items in polythene and use traditional items instead, Jal said adding that his outfit has submitted a petition to the district administration in this regard.