Gold and silver coins and energy-saving LED bulbs are up for grabs for those handing in non-biodegradable plastics to civic authorities during Vaikunda Ekadasi festival in Srirangam this year too.
For the second consecutive Vaikunta Ekadasi festival, Tiruchi Corporation has announced a campaign to discourage use of plastics below 40 microns in thickness in Srirangam. The corporation would also hand out cloth bags and coupons in return to those handing in bags and other products made of non-biodegradable plastics on December 23 and 24. The main event of the festival, opening of the Paramapadavasal, is scheduled for December 24 when the maximum crowd turn-out is expected.
The civic body would open collection centres with the help of Exnora volunteers to receive the plastics at 51 drinking water distribution points in the temple town to be set up in view of the festival. Prizes would be given to people collecting plastic wastes from public places or even from their households, and hand them over to the authorities.
A lucky dip would be held right at 2 p.m. on December 24 at the Srirangam zonal office of the corporation. While the first two winners would be given gold coins, the next four would get silver coins, and the following six would take home LED bulbs, Mayor A.Jaya announced at a meeting to review the arrangements made for the festival in Srirangam on Wednesday.
Ms.Jaya said that the corporation has deployed 200 sanitary workers exclusively for maintaining cleanliness and public hygiene in Srirangam during the festival. Special medical camps would be organised at seven places on December 23 and 24. Temporary toilets have been set up at six places around the temple apart from 47 urinals. Five mobile toilets would also be deployed in the town. Adequate drinking water supply and lighting arrangements have been made.
Earlier, Ms.Jaya along with Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani and other officials inspected the arrangements made by the civic body in Srirangam.
