MAPUSA: The hugely popular Bodgeshwar Zatra in Mapusa has a unique flavour this year around.
The well lined little stalls in front of the temple and the near clean surroundings obliterate the chaotic scenes of the past.
What is more striking is that there is no trace of plastic bags on the open ground. In the past, the entire open space in front of the temple used to turn into a sea of plastics, creating a difficult task for the civic authorities and the temple committee to tackle.
The decision of the Bodgeshwar Devasthan committee along with the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) and the Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation (GSWMC) to make the festival plastic free appears to have paid rich dividends.
But there is a twist in the "plastic free" tale.
The solution provided by the Devasthan committee appears to be more dangerous than the problem.
In attempt to discourage use of plastic bags, the committee members have urged stall owners to buy non-woven fiber bags at a discounted rate.
The fiber bags in different sizes are sold in bulk to the stall owners from an especially erected stall near the temple ground.
Experts say the bags made of non-woven fiber material itself are plastic. The raw materials used to manufacture the bags are polypropylene or terephthalate glycol ester while raw materials used to manufacture plastic bags are polyethylene. Both polypropylene and polyethylene are non-biodegradable and has the potential of becoming another pollution source as plastic bags.
The Bodgeshwar Devasthan committee, President, Anand Bhaidkar said he was aware of the characteristics of the bags but there was no other alternative.
"Our first step was to do away with the plastic bags. We needed a replacement for the plastic carry bags. Cloth bag was an alternative but it is an expensive option. May be we can go for a better option next time," Bhaidkar said.
The fiber bags which are sold to the stall owners are subsidized by MMC. The council has purchased the bags at Rs 190 per kg and sells it to stall owners at Rs 100 per kg.
GSUDA Vice Chairman and former MMC chairperson, Sandip Falari said to avoid resistance from the stall owners, the council decided to go with the fiber bags.
"The stall owners cannot recover monies spent on the bag from customers. In order to have a smooth transition from plastic to these bags, we decided to go with this option," said Falari.
The council now has plans to introduce the bags in Mapusa market too.
These bags are easy to use, colourful and popular among many consumers. Many shopkeepers and hoteliers have also started using these bags assuming that they are biodegradable and environment-friendly.
"People do not know that polypropylene is a sort of plastic and a synthetic resin," an expert in the know said.
Many states like Karnataka, Kerala and Punjab along with plastic carry bags have banned such bags that resemble cloth.
Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPC), Member Secretary, Levinson Martins said he was not aware of the fiber bags but could look into it if someone brought it to the attention of the department.
"These bags have to be examined if they are bio-degradable or they are also plastic. If someone gets these bags to us, we can examine them," Martins said.
He said the State was governed by the Goa Non-Biodegradable Control Act 1996 and the plastic authorization was given as per the new Plastics Rules 2016.
"Everybody has to abide by the Plastics Rules 2016. Nobody can circulate plastic bags other than those specified by the rules," he said.
For the record, GSWMC, MD, Sanjith Rodrigues and Saligao Waste Treatment Plant, Manager, Richard Dias had opposed the circulation of the fiber bags during one of the meetings with the temple committee and civic officials.
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TWIST IN 'PLASTIC-FREE' TALE
* Devasthan committee has urged stall owners to buy non-woven fiber bags at a discounted rate
* The solution provided by the committee appears to be more dangerous than the problem
* The non-woven fiber bags supplied are made of recycled plastic and are non-biodegradable
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These bags have to be examined if they are bio-degradable or they are also plastic. If someone gets these bags to us, we can examine them
- Levinson Martins,
GSPC Member Secretary
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