BHUPALPALLY: Every time after the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara is over, the sanitation workers have to clean huge chunk of garbage, especially plastic materials. Hence, the Jayashankar Bhupalpally district administration has imposed a ban on the use of plastic bags at the jatara. They also directed shops to be set up at the jatara site not to use plastic bags to carry any kind of materials.
With lakhs of devotees attending the biggest tribal festival, garbage will be thrown everywhere near the temple surroundings and it becomes very difficult for sanitation workers to remove them especially plastics. As devotees visit the temple round-the-clock for darshan, most of these shops remain open all the time and they use plastic carry bags to sell products. Most of the devotees also carry plastic covers and bags and throw them by the roadside or else leave the plastic covers at the place where they stay during the jatara. Thus, plastic waste is creating environmental problem, every time. Realising this, the district administration has banned the use of plastic bags and other material during the jatara.
Devotees from across the two Telugu-speaking states and states like Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka attend the fest. The district administration has formed a ‘green team’ to discourage people from throwing plastic materials at the jatara site. Bhupalpally district in-charge collector R V Karnan himself is speaking to people and is requesting them not to use plastics. “We have asked people to use plates made of leaves and papers. Already there is a threat to environment due to various human activities and if tonnes of plastic is left here, it would do immense harm to the forest,” a senior district official said.
Large number of sanitation workers are seen cleaning the roads and clearing the garbage from time-to-time. Despite this, many people unmindful of the damage plastic materials cause to the environment, are seen throwing plastics at various places near temple and surrounding areas. “Plastic carry bags, glasses, plates, bottles and other materials are found all over the place. The shops selling food items, coconuts, jaggery and other material have been packing the items in plastic bags. One can come across discarded food plates and liquor bottles all around the place,” the official stated.