Giri-pradikshana around Simahchalam hill, Vizag
Unfortunately this event contributes the highest volume of plastic in a single day to Vizag's environment. Well meaning organisations supply water sachets all along the way without bothering to put collection bins for used sachets.
Within hours of the event's start the entire 32 km stretch is covered with plastic sachets requiring an army of workers to clean up afterwards straining our municipal corporation.
With 3L people doing the Pradakshana and each person consuming 4-6 packets of water, and many washing their heads and faces with this water, more than 15 lakh or 1.5 million or more sachets line the route. Seeing this is a shocking site. If Cleanliness is next to Godliness this does not demonstrate it.
As Vizag's recycling system is not streamlined all these sachets end up in garbage dumps, geddas and drains.
A little prevention is better than all the cure.
Some measures can be taken to mitigate the problem:
1. Supply only tap water from containers with steel glasses along the route.
and/or
2. Ensure bins every 50 meters along the way with signs and volunteers urging the worshippers to dispose only in bins.
and/or
3. Carry out ad campaign 4 days before, asking all to carry their own water bottle and fill up along the way from taps. Campaign on FM Radio, bill boards, auto rickshaw announcement and press notes in all newspapers.
An opportunity
This is a God given chance (literally) for the city administration to bring about behavioral change in a large section of the population ... at least 5% ... in one shot.
An executive decision must be taken to stop the harmful water sachet explosion. I am flagging this issue hoping that this year we will see the beginning of change.
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