THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now, devotees of Attukal Bhagavathy have an opportunity to ‘steel’ the show with eco-friendliness during the Pongala festival. Devotees have been advised to bring their own steel plates and steel glass to have food and drinks. Besides health benefits, this would help keep the city clean. The authorities are in the process of collecting around 25,000 steel plates and tumblers for those who do not want to carry the metal utensils during Pongala. The City Corporation, along with Suchitwa Mission, district administration and Food and Safety Commissionerate, has taken various measures to make this year’s Pongala a green and clean one.
“Let’s go back to our old ways, where we used to carry our own wares during festivals,” said Dr K Vasuki, the Executive Director of state nodal agency for sanitation, Suchitwa Mission. Around 35 lakh devotees are expected to turn up on Pongala offering day falling on February 23. The festival starts from February 15.
The organisers also advise the NGOs, various sponsors, spiritual groups and individuals who serve food for the devotees to strictly avoid disposable items. Water will be served in various spots by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and people can collect water in their own utensils from these dispensers. Commissioner of Food Safety, Anupama T V, said eating hot food from disposables can be cancerous. “Packing material used as disposables may not be of food grade quality,” she said. She added that only those who are registered with Food Safety authorities would be allowed to serve food or water.
Mayor V K Prashant said that a door-to-door campaign will be held on February 15 and 16 to urge people to donate a steel plate and tumbler. There will be collection centres at 15 temples in the city to accept the offerings.
Suchitwa Mission had implemented the ‘Green Protocol’ during National Games 2015. However, Pongala is not confined to a particular place. Pongala hearths can be found in the 10 km radius of the Attukal Temple. After the festivities, discarded glasses, plates and other plastic items are strewn around, creating a huge waste management issue. District Collector Biju Prabhakar expressed his concern that the waste would be dumped in the newly-built sewerages in the city. The Corporation has deployed 1,785 workers for the clean-up mission post Pongala Day. The Collector also warned the people against using indiscriminate use of loud speakers during the festival. ‘’We will take steps to confiscate loud speakers if they exceed the prescribed decibel limits,’’ he said.
Good plans
25,000 steel plates and tumblers to be collected from the public and NGOs can donate
1,785 workers for the clean-up mission post Pongala Day