Bhubaneswar: Despite the ban by city administration, usage of plastic carry bags and other products such as glass are rampant at the ‘Ananda Bazaar’ or the food court of famed Ananta Basudev temple here.
Even though the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been carrying out raids at several places of the town to enforce the plastic ban, BMC’s whip is yet to be cracked on the Ananta Basudev temple administration.
Thousands of devotees throng this temple to have ‘abadha’ (offerings) of the lord. On occasion of special days with religious significance, the turnout is even more.
While some have the offerings in the ‘Ananda Bazaar’ itself, some ask the vendors to pack their prasad. The vendors, in turn, use polythene bags of banned specifications for packing the food.
Devotees and local residents have been raising their concern against the practice time and again pointing out that apart from environmental impact, it is disgraceful to sell prasad in polythene bags. That said, both the temple administration and the BMC have shut their eyes to this rampant use of polythene at the shrine, it is alleged.
Meanwhile, the money-minded vendors continue to use these polythene bags with little remorse.
PNN