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GUWAHATI: The management committee of Umananda Temple has announced that all kinds of plastic items will be prohibited on an experimental basis from June 23 as part of efforts to preserve the ecological surroundings of the revered shrine.
Addressing to the media at Sukreswar Udyan near Umananda Ghat, Umananda Temple Management Committee secretary Kishore Kumar Bhattacharjya said the decision had been taken in accordance with a resolution adopted at the committee’s general meeting held on April 25.
Describing Umananda as not only an important religious site of Assam and India but also a major attraction for tourists from across the world, Bhattacharjya said several lakh devotees, tourists and researchers visit the island shrine every year and the number has been increasing steadily. He noted that protecting the environment of the area had become a major challenge in the changing circumstances.
He further said that the stable law and order situation in Assam under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and the European Union’s withdrawal of restrictions on tourists visiting Assam were expected to give a fresh impetus to the state’s tourism sector, leading to a further rise in the number of visitors to Umananda.
Bhattacharjya appealed to all stakeholders, particularly visitors, to extend their cooperation in implementing the ban. He also highlighted the difficulties arising from the absence of electricity supply to the temple complex, stating that the provision of drinking water had become costly and that sanitation facilities had been adversely affected.
He stressed the need for the deployment of permanent security personnel and the establishment of first-aid facilities in the temple premises to ensure order and safety. He also expressed disappointment over the Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s failure to provide sanitation workers at Umananda despite repeated requests.
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