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SGPC’s green initiative fails to yield, use of polybags still on

AMRITSAR: The SGPC’s green drive initiative in the Golden Temple complex suffers due to the laxity on the part of government departments and devotees.

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GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 17

The SGPC’s green drive initiative in the Golden Temple complex suffers due to the laxity on the part of government departments and devotees.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) could not keep up its promise of arranging eco-friendly packets for “pinni parshad”.

Similarly, the Amritsar administration failed to prevent ‘VIP’ devotees from taking their vehicles close to the shrine. In addition to this, due to lack of awareness, devotees donate ghee, dals (pulses), sugar or tea in ordinary polythene bags, thereby generating extra poly refuse.

SGPC officials have approached the departments concerned to take cognisance of the lapses, but in vain.

On April 1, 2018, biodegradable, compostable carry bags were introduced for the Golden Temple by the PPCB for carrying “karah parshad” and “pinni parshad”.

Though there is adequate availability of eco-friendly bags for “karah parshad”, yet the same carry bags could not be arranged for “pinni parshad” till date.

Confirming this, the SGPC’s chief secretary Dr Roop Singh said the brown paper bags were used on experimental basis, but it was never a successful alternative. “The paper bags do not last long with ghee-smeared pinni. Rather, they start emanating pungent smell. We had to discontinue them and engage a private firm to supply us polybags which could serve the purpose as a stopgap arrangement. These bags are not 100 per cent biodegradable,” he said.

Former PPCB Chairman KS Pannu had took the step of using special bags made from starch granules derived from maize and potato for carrying “parshad”.

Officials said the project hit a road block as it was not followed up properly after Pannu was transferred to another department. They said due to some “technical snag”, the requisite stock of eco-friendly bags could not be arranged for “pinni parshad” as its size was not commensurate with the packing machine’s specification.

With an aim to preserve environment, the SGPC had introduced vertical garden on the premises of the Golden Temple by growing plants in discarded bottles on the outer wall of Teja Singh Samundri Hall, Sri Guru Ram Das Serai (inn) and langar hall.

Lately, the SGPC had declared the passage leading to the SGPC headquarters, its administrative offices and serais as a “no-vehicle” zone. All vehicles belonging to its officials, including president Gobind Singh Longowal, have not been allowed inside the shrine complex since January 1.

On the other hand, there is free movement of VIP vehicles which reach up to the Golden Temple’s entrance plaza from the other routes leading tothe shrine.

Dr Roop Singh said all the efforts to preserve environment fell flat without the support of the administration and devotees. “We have brought the shortcomings to the notice of the administration and Police Department, but nothing has been done. Moreover, the devotees should themselves take it as their responsibility to preserve the sanctity and environ by avoiding taking their vehicles near the shrine,” he said.

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