Yadadri in grip of plastic menace

​Yadadri: Even as social service organisations, government machineries and environmentalists are toiling hard to end the menace of plastic, indiscriminate use of the killer material seems to be on an alarming rise.  

Despite myriad campaigns and awareness programmes, people still continue to use plastic and polythene bags, unmindful of the consequences that would lead to. Even the temple town of Yadadri seems to be no exception. 

Officials of ISO certified shrine of Yadadri seem to have totally failed in curbing the use of plastic on the temple premises, leading to the holy hillock turning to be a dumping ground for plastic.   

Though the use of plastic is banned in the historic temple, the prohibition appears to be confined only to the rule book and limited to pledges. At the hillock, toy sellers and coconut vendors still pack dolls and puja items in plastic carry bags before handing them over to customers.

According to official information, on an average, 10,000 to 15,000 devotees visit Yadadri daily in normal days and 30,000 to 50,000 on weekends and auspicious days. At least, half of the visitors offer coconuts to Lord Laxminarasimha Swamy during their visits.

According to coconut vendors, they sell as many as 5,000 coconuts in normal days and minimum of 15,000 coconuts on weekends and festive days, which, in turn, lead to the use of 5,000 plastic bags on normal days and 15,000 plastic bags on weekends.

Naresh, a native of Bhongir, who frequently visits Yadadri said, “We have been hearing this for a long time. I don’t think the ban is going to work. It is not only of we, the devotees share responsibility. They should carry their own reusable bags and if they do so, the ban will work,” some coconut and toy vendors on the hillock opined.

Temple Assistant Executive Officer Rammohan said there was a ban on use of plastic bags on the hillock and notices were served to all shopkeepers in this regard. Temple vigilance staff frequently inspect shops to avoid the use of plastic bags. He further said the temple laddu, and pulihora prasadams were packed in plastic covers having less than 40 microns which dissolved in soil and were providing nonwoven bag at Rs 5 to carry prasadams home.

Meanwhile, G Ravinder Reddy, an M Tech in Environmental Sciences said weak enforcement was encouraging the people to carry plastic bags in pilgrim centres. “Carrying plastic bags should be punishable by law. If the government is serious about stopping the use of polythene, it should ban manufacturing such materiel and that will force the people to carry their own bags,” he said.