Ravana effigies made of plastic waste to be disposed of mechanically this Dussehra

New Delhi, Oct 4: This Dussehra, there will be several Ravana effigies, including in Delhi, made of plastic waste collected from cities across India. The apex body of cement plants in India on Friday announced that in collaboration with the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, it will be erecting huge Ravanas made of plastic waste in a few cities for the festival of Dussehra on October 8.

Ravana's effigy made of plastic waste will be disposed of mechanically in representative cement plants, the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) said. "The intent is to personify Ravana in its plastic form as a demon, bad for the society and environment. This initiative also highlights the role that the Cement Industry can play in, helping overcome this menace in its plants in an environmentally friendly manner," a statement issued by the CMA said.

The plastic Ravana initiative has been planned in select cities, including Delhi, where a 25-30 feet tall installation will be disposed of in a representative cement plant at the Ramlila grounds. The plastic effigy will be put in a cement kiln where the temperature is so high that it gets disposed of without impacting the environment and also leaves no residue, the CMA said.

The initiative was announced at the CMA CONSERVE Conference recently. Durga Shankar Mishra, Secretary of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said, "Single-use plastics can be disposed in cement kilns and there will be no environmental issues as it uses high temperature where hazardous gases get absorbed. Very happy to hear about the plastic Ravana initiative on October 8 where CMA would showcase the process they are using to manage single-use plastic waste." The cement industry has collaborated with the ministry on various initiatives under the Swachhata Hi Sewa programme.

"The first phase from September 11 to October 2, 2019 is focused on creating awareness on single-use plastic (SUP). During this period, CMA and the cement industry will undertaken extensive initiatives across 16 states, covering 377 villages, and sensitising over one lakh people through training, mass awareness and waste Shramdaan activities," the CMA said.