Bangla Sahib Gurdwara goes green, bans plastic
DISPOSABLE PLATES, CUPS REPLACED WITH ECO-FRIENDLY JUTE BAGS ‘DONA-PATTAL’ TO SERVE LANGAR
NEW DELHI: Joining the fight against plastic waste, Bangla Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi has banned use of all types of plastic items within the shrine complex.
The decision has been taken as part of programmes to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, said Manjinder Singh Sirsa, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
The biggest heritage Sikh shrine situated in the heart of national capital has banned disposable plates, glasses, spoons, thermocol cup-plates and other single-use plastics, and switched to steel utensils for serving water and langar (community meal) to devotees, Sirsa said.
“On an average, around 5,000 poly bags and thermocol cupplates were used every day to distribute ‘prasad’, fruits and other items to devotees. Now, these have been replaced with ecofriendly jute bags, and dona-pattal (leaf bowls and plates) since October 2,” he said.
The DSGMC has set up a recycling plant capable of handling two tonnes of flower and langar waste, and dry leaves on a daily basis. The fully automatic plant has been commissioned on an experimental basis to experiment with the zero-waste model and will be put to use on full scale this month, Sirsa said. The committee has also completely shifted to clean piped natural gas for preparing langar for around 35,000 people daily and has completely banned use of wood and charcoal.