: Aimed at making this year’s Sivarathri festival in Aluva a plastic-free affair, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to enforce a strict ban on plastic even for distributing water.
At a high level meeting in Aluva on Monay, it was decided that bottled water or soft drinks in plastic bottles will not be allowed on the Manalpuram. Instead, boiled water with dried ginger added will be supplied to the faithful and those accompanying them at five points on the sand bank. Each container will have the facility to carry 5,000 litres of water.
The meeting presided over by TDB chairman Prayar Gopalakrishnan, also decided to set up 20 bio-toilets for the devotees. Priests will be allowed to use only natural plantain leaf. Its plastic replica or disposable plastic plates too will be a strict no-no. The balitharpan rate for this year’s Sivarathri, which falls on February 24, has been fixed at Rs. 50. A total of 750 faithful will be able to offer balitharpan at the balitharas to be set up by the TDB alone.
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The Devaswom Board will also build the balipura for the devotees, which will be auctioned off to priests for use. Plywood will be used for segregating the balipuras so that all of them will have a common character.
Further, decisions with regard to providing light refreshments for the devotees and opening more offerings counters were also taken. Faithful who venture into the river Periyar will be secured by barricades.
Generators will be in place and the KSRTC will ply special services. Police personnel too will be deployed in sufficient number.
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