Vijayawada: The NTR district administration and endowments department are preparing for the grand celebration of the 11-day Dasara festivities at the Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri, scheduled from September 22 to October 2. In a significant step towards making the festivities environment-friendly, the administration has decided to completely phase out single-use plastic items, including plastic water pouches distributed to devotees for drinking water purposes in the sarva darshan queues during the festival.Plastic water pouches have been a major contributor to plastic pollution, with lakhs of these packets being arranged every year for distribution to devotees in the temple queue lines during Dasara. In fact, a record 15 lakh water pouches were distributed to devotees during the Dasara festivities last year by the temple authorities. While the temple authorities also distribute drinking water through water bottles in the queue lines, the focus will now shift to using only biodegradable and recyclable materials.District collector Dr. G Lakshmisha has issued clear instructions to the temple authorities and concerned departments to ensure that single-use plastic items are not used during this year’s Dasara celebrations. “Only biodegradable and recyclable plastic items should be utilized during the Dasara festival celebrations at Indrakeeladri temple,” the collector emphasized, adding that the same applies to items used for drinking water distribution in devotees’ queue lines. He also advised the temple authorities to encourage donors to provide drinking water in recyclable plastic water bottles instead of water packets.This move aligns with the state government’s announcement of a complete ban on the usage of single-use plastic (SUP) items across 17 cities in Andhra Pradesh, including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and other major cities, effective October 2. The ban aims to put an end to the plastic menace and promote sustainable practices.
