Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has launched a special initiative to make the upcoming Holla Mohalla celebrations free from single-use plastic. This environment-friendly initiative has also been supported by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), an organisation responsible for the management of Gurudwaras in Punjab and some other places.
PPCB Member Secretary Dr Lavneet Kumar Dubey, while sharing the details, told Akashvani Correspondent that the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib has also appealed to all the langar committees to stop using single-use plastic and replace it with steel or biodegradable utensils. PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta has announced that the biodegradable plates and bowls will be provided free of cost to langar organisers during this festival and for further such large religious gatherings as well.
Holla-Mohalla is starting from February 27 to March 3 at Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib. In the past, after the celebrations, long stretches of roads and open areas were seen littered with used plastic plates and carry bags discarded by pilgrims. Much of them eventually ends up in drains, fields and nearby rivulets despite the best efforts of the municipal workers to clear them up.
Although single-use plastic is officially banned in Punjab, its use during large gatherings significantly contributes to solid waste pollution.
