Clean & Plastic-Free Ambubachi Mela Initiative

Together we can make the difference

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Kamakhya Temple, the holiest Shakti-Peetha in the country, is located in Nilachal Hill at Guwahati in Assam. The place has a great mythological importance in the country. Its significance as a heritage site shouldn’t be missed out either. As per a recent survey by the India Today group, this temple is among the top 10 tourist destinations in the country. Ambubachi Mela held every year at Kamakhya temple is considered as the biggest religious gathering in the region and state as millions of devotees and visitors gather on this auspicious occasion.

Voice of Environment (VoE) is working to meet the targets of the Mission Clean & Green Assam initiative. In this regard, a mission was lunched as Swachh Temple vision which started from Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati. To that end, VoE signed an MOU with Kamakhya (Devalaya) Temple Authority, on December 22, 2016.

The team is trying to make the temple premise as clean, eco-friendly and plastic free tourist destination. Furthermore, VoE spontaneously working to build mass awareness of the temple’s iconic reputation as a heritage site and a rich biodiversity spot to set an example in country towards sustainability said Environmentalist Moharana Choudhury.

As per the aforesaid mission a joint initiative conducted by Voice of Environment in association with Kamakhya Temple Authority and Assam Police to create awareness among Devotees/Visitors/Sadhsus/Saints to celebrate a clean, eco-friendly and plastic-free Ambubachi Mela. The campaign started at Boripara, Pandav Nagar, Maligaonfiled (Ambubachi Mela Camp) on 22nd June 2019.

Team VoE led by Advocate Kanhaiya Poddar successfully presented a collaborative roadmap of a clean, eco-friendly plastic free zone within the temple’s premise and Mela camp areas. This time the team has also placed few numbers of banners at different places like Guwahati Railway Station premise, Kamakhya Railway Station premise and Kamakhya Temple area. The team has also interacted with the devotees/Shadhus/Saints during the campaign and recorded several interviews cum interactive sessions to understand the views of people who have arrived from different parts of country regarding this mega event. It is also noticed that majority of Devotees/Visitors supported this initiative as cleanliness, beat plastic pollution and proper waste disposal aspect in such heritage place. During this campaign there was an active participation from Assam Police, GMC, Civil Defense and other Volunteers. The team also tried to create mass awareness about the hazardous effect of plastic waste generation. Further tomorrow the team VoE will organize a signature campaign at Kamakhya Temple Premise to build the mass sensitization along with the awareness campaign. The team is spontaneously trying to build a ‘Mass citizen consciousness’ that will build habit of sustainable practices to counter the habit of using plastic items regularly and also will send a strong message about the eco friendly and cleanliness mission in the region and globe. The team believes “Together we can make the difference”.

Also Read: CM Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates Ambubachi Mela In Guwahati