GUWAHATI: During this week of Durga Puja festivities, Guwahati saw different kinds of puja pandals being built. If some puja pandals were made innovatively to preserve the environment, others ensured that they used a thematic approach for public entertainment.
This year Kahilipara Puja Pandal came up with a new design where they used 12,000-13,000 plastic bottles to build the pandal.
However, with the festivities now over, the organizers are now facing trouble to dispose off of the plastic bottles. While the organizers have contacted various people to take away the bottles from them, they informed G Plus that whosoever wants the plastic bottles can take them away. The organizers of Kahilipara Puja Committee informed that they had bought the factory made bottles directly from Amingaon for the decoration of the pandal.
While the Kahilipara Puja Committee has found a person willing to take away the plastic bottles, they are still unaware of the final fate of the bottles. Also, the committee will dispose the bottles after Diwali but may incur huge loss selling it off. Approximately, Rs 15000 was spent to purchase the bottles, but now the interested buyers are offering very less. Additionally, people also have a belief that bottles used in Durga Puja celebration can't be used in other work. The Puja committee however are okay with the scenario and feel that the bottles could also be taken by some of the mineral water company.
Plastic bottles are a huge problem for the environment. A large number of plastic bottles are disposed off in the rivers, lakes and barren lands which are major pollutants of the environment.
Guwahati, though a major city in the North East, lacks recycling plants. It is unplanned approach such as these that shows glaring inefficiency in the city's administration. Puja Pandal Committee's and their work, for the most part, continues to remain unquestioned and monitored strictly by the administration.
