Elections besides giving rise to a lot of hot air from party candidates tend to generate tonnes of non biodegradable material which end up in landfills and water bodies choking the environment. In a unique initiative, the Goa State Biodiversity Board has roped in traditional artisans to design eco-friendly polling booths using locally sourced biodegradable material like bamboo, hay, paddy husk and palm fronds.The collateral benefit of this endeavour is that instead of money going to a favoured contractor, ( scams everywhere) it shall accrue to local artisans from Sattari and tribal hinterlands, women self help groups and chitari artists have also been roped in to deliver an aesthetic product. These green election booths shall be later sent to other election bound states thus acting as cultural ambassadors for Goan craft.Tapping into pop culture, similar selfie booths shall also be designed, wherein voters after casting their ballots can click photos for posting on social media. A win-win situation for all.
