5 days ago
With blanket ban, KVD is now complete plastic-free zone
Varanasi: From Monday, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham was officially declared a complete plastic-free zone.
After enforcing a complete ban on single-use plastic before the commencement of the Shrawan month, the shrine area authorities also imposed a blanket ban on the use of plastic utensils to carry water or milk for offering and plastic baskets to carry flowers and other worship materials.
Vendors of all these articles were already distributed eco-friendly baskets made of bamboo strips and stainless steel along with other metal utensils.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham Special Area Development Board CEO Vishwa Bhushan Mishra along with the deputy collector and other authorities made a formal announcement in this regard amidst flower and garland vendors near gate number four as well as on the Dhundhiraj Ganesh and Vishalakshi temple routes.
"It's a 'Plastic-Free Dham' since Aug 11, 2025. Now, any kind of plastic is strictly prohibited on the temple's premises. Entry with any plastic item, including baskets and pots, will not be allowed," said the CEO, mentioning that the administration and trust were continuously working towards plastic elimination for a month. As part of the 'Plastic-Free Dham' initiative, the temple, along with City South MLA Neelkanth Tiwari and corporators, including Kanaklata Tiwari, reached the markets and streets in and around KVD on Aug 7 to encourage shopkeepers to use traditional and eco-friendly material.
On this occasion, bamboo baskets and steel pots were distributed among them. The efforts to make Kashi Vishwanath Dham a complete No-Plastic Zone followed the Dec 2024 board meeting's decision. The execution of the plan started with banning single-use plastic, said the CEO, adding it yielded positive results, and the entry of single-use plastic was completely stopped. Before the commencement of the Shrawan month on July 11, the temple decided to ensure a ban on the entry of other plastic items after the end of the auspicious month.
To seek cooperation from all, the temple officials held meetings with stakeholders and finalised plans to strictly check the entry of all kinds of plastic containers inside the shrine area from the very next day after the end of Shravan. The stakeholders also provided valuable insights into establishing better coordination to make this plan a complete success.
To discourage the use of plastic containers for bringing water, milk, flowers and other worship items, the temple authorities ensured announcements through the public address system and other means to make devotees aware of the decision. Extensive publicity was made through media, social media and other means throughout the Shravan month.
The CEO appealed to devotees from across the globe, vendors and residents of Kashi to cooperate in the initiative.
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