Celebrate Diwali infused with eco-friendly spirit

GUWAHATI, Nov 10: This Diwali will definitely be great for elephants across the state; after all they will
be able feed on their favourite banana plants to their heart’s content after the celebrations.
The state government has come up with a unique eco-friendly way of celebrating Diwali this year.
Banana plants and leaves used in Diwali celebrations will not be disposed off, but reutilized as fodder for
elephants and agricultural compose.
The initiative is part of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs’ ‘Swachh Diwali, Shubh Diwali’
campaign across the country, under which cities are focusing on celebrating the festival of lights in an
eco-friendly manner, officials said.
The state unit of the Swachh Bharat Mission, urban, has come up with the idea of collecting the banana
plants and using these for other purposes instead of disposing them.
During Diwali celebrations people often place banana plants on both sides of the entrance to houses or
commercial establishments with small wooden planks stuck to the sides, on which earthen lamps are
placed and lit.
As the plants have no other use the next morning, these are generally thrown in the garbage bins or
roadsides, thereby rendering the surroundings a very unpleasant appearance.
To ensure post-Diwali cleanliness, the banana trees, stems and leaves that will be left unused the next
day will be handed over to the national parks around urban local bodies for use as fodder for elephants.
In places where there are no national parks in the vicinity, people are urged to cut the banana trees into
small pieces and hand these to the urban local bodies for disposal. The municipal staff will then provide
the stems of the trees to cow shelters or ‘waste-to-compost’ pits, officials said.
There are already 104 central compost pits at various places and over 6,000 domestic ones in the city.
The Gauhati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has also appealed to the city residents to use its helpline
number to get the banana plants collected.
“Don’t toss the banana trees on the streets. Call GMC on our helpline number, and we’ll pick them up!
Whether they’re unsold or used, we’ll ensure proper disposal. Let’s light up the city without littering it.
Together, we can make a difference!” the GMC said on X. (PTI)