‘Waste to wealth’ polling booth in Berhampur

Berhampur: People who will vote for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in a ‘Model Booth’ in Hillpatna here will find a pleasant surprise. They will be seeing stools, table and other furniture in a different look on May 13. The Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) has planned to open a ‘Waste to Wealth Model Polling Booth’ for the first time at Hillpatna in Berhampur.

The aim of this concept is to encourage the voters to take an interest in Olive Ridley turtles who travel thousands of miles in the ocean and arrive in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast, particularly at Rushikulya river mouth, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Devi River mouth annually.

The State government has been making efforts for their conservation through a ban on fishing by trawlers and mechanised boat operators up to 20 km from the coast for almost six months and organising onshore and five offshore patrolling camps for keeping a close watch on the mass nesting of turtles.

Secondly, the Industrial Training Institute (ITI)-Berhampur, a pioneer institute of its kind in Odisha making large sculptures out of waste materials, has made it to several world records.

A mascot of ‘Olly,’ which has been a favourite name with the children for the Olive Ridley turtles, will catch the imagination of the voters, when they will welcome the voters. The 6-foot high Olly mascot, made out of 7,000 cold drink bottle caps, will be placed outside.

A movable and wheeled 3 feet diameter waste tyre would attract the voters with the letters ‘Waste to Wealth Polling Booth’. There will also be a selfie point India map outside the booth made from waste materials. The voters can take selfies to remember the great moment of their participation in the election process of the largest democracy of the world.

Five stools (each made of three waste car tyres) are also being prepared for use by four poll personnel, including presiding officer, first and second polling officers and security personnel. Three car tyres are bolted from inside to have a fixed joint. Round shaped waste ply boards with a foam cover will be affixed on the top of the stool for comfort.

Similarly, 3 tables made of waste bike tyres would be used to keep poll-related documents and materials. This 3-foot high table is being framed with a waste 6 mm iron rod. Six bike tyres are needed to make one table which would be fixed atop with plywood.

A bonnet of a discarded jeep is also being prepared to be used as a table on which the voters can cast their votes on EVM machines.

More than 40 students of ITI-Berhampur from Fitter, Electrician, Instrument Mechanics, Painter and Industrial Painter have been working on these six projects since May 3 after the BeMC requested the ITI to focus on the ‘Waste to Wealth Model Polling Booth’, said Rajat Kumar Panigrahi, Principal, ITI-Berhampur. All the project works would be completed by May 10, he said.

“When thousands of people throw off their old, kaput vehicle parts and electronic goods every year in the trash can, our students have come up with some fascinating ideas with the waste materials and displayed them with brilliant zest. ITI-Berhampur has made headlines in the national media several times,” he said.