When devotees started pouring into Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore as early as 4.30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, they were greeted with reusable cloth bags at the two entrances.
With the help of Kailai Mylai Pournami Bhakti Valam, a voluntary group comprising of devotees, the temple management enforced the plastic ban in an impressive manner.
Volunteers stationed at the two entrances of the temple, took the archanai (puja offerings) items that devotees brought in plastic bags and covers and placed them in these bags.
“We distributed around 2,000 bags for free. We also urged them to carry cloth bags from now on. Awareness messages were announced through the loudspeakers,” says M. Radhakrishnan, a member of Bhakti Valam.
The volunteers also advised the street vendors around the temple to not give puja items in plastic bags. Later, the plastic bags collected from the devotees were taken by K.L. Bala of Thiruveedhi Amman Koil Street, to be put in one of the Urbins placed by Kabadiwalla Connect.
According to Bala, providing sustainable alternatives is essential for a successful plastic ban. “From what I observed, it is the major establishments and institutions that have switched to cloth carry bags and other alternatives. Street vendors and hawkers in many places are still using plastic carry bags. Affordability is a major factor here. The government and Chennai Corporation should consider this fact and come out with a solution to help such traders too,” he says.
Rally by RAPRA
A day earlier, on Sunday, a day before the ban came into effect, members of Raja Annamalaipuram Residents’ Association (RAPRA) took out a rally to stress the need to look for and adopt sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.
“The members stopped at every junction, raised slogans and sang songs about going off plastics. Discarded plastic items found along the rally route were picked and thrown into a collection tricycle,” says Dr. R. Chandrasekaran, president of RAPRA.
Mylapore MLA R. Nataraj flagged off the rally from R.A. Puram First Main Road. NCC cadets from Raja Muthaiah School and workers of private conservancy operator Ramky Enviro Engineers took part in the rally.
Appreciating RAPRA’s efforts to raise awareness about source segregation and sustainability, the MLA said that the message should spread beyond Mylapore.
RWA sells jute bags
The Judge Jambulingam Road Residents Welfare Association has been promoting the use of jute and cloth bags for a while now. Suresh Ranka, the general secretary of the association says that the RWA has jute shopping bags for sale. The bags come in two sizes — large and medium — and are priced at ₹125 and ₹175. The large-sized bag can hold up to 15 to 20 kg in weight and the medium ones up to 12 kg.” He adds that the RWA has sold about 500 to 600 bags so far. “We have been encouraging residents to shun plastic and use eco-friendly bags.”
Suresh claimed that the bags are sourced from a Pune-based organisation that promotes organic farming and the proceeds of the sale would go for the welfare of the farmers.
The bags can be purchased from the Association’s office at Svastika, 9, Judge Jambulingam Road, Mylapore. For details, contact 9940395257.
