Bhubaneswar: In a move to promote environmental sustainability and uphold religious sentiments during the upcoming Ganesh Puja celebration in Capital city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a special initiative to convert flower and puja waste into eco-friendly incense sticks. At thousands of puja pandals, which will be built across the City, floral offerings in large volumes are a common sight during the festival. However, improper disposal of the sacred items has often led to unhygienic conditions, clogged drains and public nuisance.
This year, BMC has taken a proactive step to ensure that the flower waste finds a new, meaningful purpose. “Religious offerings deserve respectful disposal. By processing flower waste into incense sticks, we are not only preserving the sanctity of these items but also creating a sustainable product,” BMC Mayor Sulochana Das said.
In collaboration with local NGOs, BMC has deployed dedicated vehicles across all city zones. These vehicles are assigned for collecting flower and organic waste from pandals. No household garbage or non-biodegradable items are allowed in these vehicles in order to maintain the purity of the offerings.
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Once collected, the waste will be transported to the Pokhariput processing facility, where it will undergo eco-friendly treatment. The floral waste will be cleaned, dried, and mixed with natural ingredients to produce incense sticks. These sticks not only carry a pleasant fragrance but also embody the spiritual essence of the original offerings. BMC, along with sanitary staff and NGO representatives, is conducting Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to sensitise puja committees and local residents about the initiative.
