Wednesday, 13 April 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Considering the large number of pilgrims visiting Haridwar every year who use plastic cans to carry or store holy water of the Ganga river, the Municipal Corporation of Haridwar (MCH) has taken the initiative to work on providing eco-friendly cans made from bamboo,copper and glass. The Haridwar municipal commissioner Dayanand Saraswati held a meeting with women self help groups formed under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) on Tuesday to discuss about the possible alternatives of the prohibited plastic cans that can be made available in the city.
The representatives of SHGs proposed the idea of providing alternatives like selling bottles or containers prepared from bamboo, copper and glass near Ghats where the plastic cans are mostly sold and bought by pilgrims. They also proposed to rent handmade mats of fabric or jute at the minimal cost of Rs 10 to prevent the practice of pilgrims buying plastic sheets near Ghats to carry out Pujas and other rituals. Considering all these recommendations, the municipal commissioner has asked the SHGs to present their proposals and samples of the alternatives discussed in the meeting within one week. He said that the corporation will start a pilot project after getting approval from the Haridwar district magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey. The selected SHGs would start the work on selling the eco-friendly cans made from bamboo, copper and glass besides renting the handmade mats near seven Ghats- Kangra Ghat, Rodi Belwala, Usha Ghat, Premnagar Ashram Ghat, Malaviya Dveep Ghat, Amrapur Ghat and Sheetala Mata Ghat besides near CCR bridge from April 25 once the MCH gets the DM’s nod for the project, said Saraswati. He said that this initiative will not just minimise the plastic pollution but also provide employment opportunities to local women. The DAY-NULM city manager Ankit Ramola and community organiser Sonia Gupta were also present in the meeting.
