Urban Affairs Ministry celebrates Dussehra in eco-friendly manner

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on Tuesday mechanically destroyed a Ravana effigy made of plastic waste in the city marking the celebration of Dussehra in an eco-friendly manner.

The campaign of making India single-use plastic-free by 2022 kickstarted on October 2 after Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the movement. The ministry, with the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA), erected a 35-feet tall effigy of Ravana at the Ramlila ground here and dismantled it mechanically.

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Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary of MoHUA, said, "We are immensely happy with the support of CMA in waste shramdaan activities, showcasing the process they are using to manage single-use plastic waste. "Single-Use Plastics, a huge environmental threat, can be disposed of in cement kilns with no harmful environmental issues as it uses high temperature where hazardous gases get absorbed," Mishra said.

Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were former Union minister Vijay Goel, North MCD commissioner Varsha Joshi. "It was celebrated in a unique and eco-friendly manner. A 30-35 ft Ravana effigy made of plastic waste was disposed of mechanically, conveying the traditional message of victory of good over evil. "It was the first time that the crowd at the Ramlila ground participated in a narrative where Ravana in its plastic form, symbolised the evil demon, harmful for the society and environment, a statement issued by the cement manufacturers' body said.

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'Crowd took a solemn pledge to avoid the usage of plastics'- CMA spokesperson

"The event witnessed a huge gathering. The entire crowd was elated with excitement and took a solemn pledge to avoid the use of plastics, when the countdown to dispose of plastic waste Ravana mechanically in a representative cement plant started," a spokesperson for the CMA said.

Joshi expressed her eagerness to utilise the facility of disposing of the non-recyclable single-use plastic generated in her area through cement plants."We have recently started bio-remediation of our legacy landfill as well, which would generate large quantities of plastic waste.

We hope to utilise all of this in creative and safe methods including through cement plants," she said. On the occasion, Mahendra Singhi, President, CMA and MD, and CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited, said, "The Cement Industry is a critical partner in the government's goal towards Samuchit Niptaan - the total disposal of waste and plastics. The entire cement industry has come together on this noble initiative to fight plastic pollution and make its significant contribution towards environment protection."

The MoHUA and CMA collectively conducted this initiative of plastic waste Ravana effigy across five cities in India, including Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Raipur, and Ahmedabad.

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