Faridkot administration to start drive against plastic use in langars

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, September 16

Keeping in view the rampant use of plastic cups, glasses, plates and Styrofoam trays in langars (community kitchens) during the 11-day-long Annual Baba Farid Mela in Faridkot and the resultant choking of the drains and stray animals eating used Styrofoam plates in the town every year, the district administration has decided that all langars would be organised at specific places so that there are adequate arrangements to take care of piles of this disposable crockery.

The Baba Farid Mela will start on September 18. As a mark of respect to Sufi Saint Baba Farid, people must do away with plastic and Styrofoam cutlery in langars and the nagar kirtans to prevent littering. This was stated by Faridkot Deputy Commissioner Kumar Saurabh Raj.

The DC said disposable plates and glasses got collected on roads or keep lying there for days after the conclusion of bhandaras, langars, chabeels or any other happenings in public places. It was disgusting to see the disposables lying around.

He said people should stop using plastic at places of worship. “So, we have planned to wean them away from using plastic beginning from this religious mela in memory of the Sufi Saint,” he said.

“At first, we have requested all religious groups, organisations and individuals to organize langars at specific places and avoid plastic and Styrofoam crockery while serving langar,” the DC said. 

Members of Society for Environmental and Ecology Resources (SEER), a voluntary organisation in Faridkot, keep collecting cups, plates, knives, spoons, and forks, all made of plastic, littering roads during Baba Farid Mela here every year. We collect trolleys of plastic garbage, scattered on roads, from various parts of the town during the mela every year, said Pardeep Chamak, a volunteer of SEER.

Instead of blaming the authorities for plastic garbage mess, SEER volunteers blame the lack of awareness among area residents, saying that people are more responsible for the present scenario and the increasing garbage problem.

“The aim of our garbage collecting drive during the Baba Farid Mela is to sensitise the public to not use Styrofoam and plastic disposable as 50 per cent,” said Sandeep Arora, a founding member of SEER.

Sandeep is also concerned about the harm caused by using Styrofoam.