CUTTACK: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), which along with four other municipal corporations in the state will impose a ban on plastic and polythene from October 2, has decided to use the Durga Puja festivities to spread the 'no-plastic' message.The civic body has urged the puja committees to not only stay away from using plastic or polythene themselves, but to use the state government's ban on plastic as a theme as far as possible."We will issue advisories to all committees to not use polythene in the celebrations. Besides, we will ask them to put up posters and banners at the pandals urging devotees against bringing prasad or other offerings wrapped in polythene," said CMC commissioner Sarat Nayak. The CMC will soon hold a meeting with the puja committees to seek their cooperation in implementing the ban. "At least 156 committees celebrate Durga Puja in Cuttack. We are confident they will cooperate with us in this endeavour," Nayak added.The CMC had imposed a ban on polythene in the city in 2011 but could not implement it. "Now that the government has decided to ban the use of polythene, we expect to get more support," said a CMC official. He added that the use of polythene increased manifold during the Durga Puja celebrations. On the festive days, the city generates almost 20 per cent more garbage and the majority of it is polythene. "To manage the extra trash, the CMC will depute at least two sweepers to every pandal," an official said.The puja committees said they would follow the CMC's order. "We believe in organizing our puja in an eco-friendly way. We will avoid the use of polythene," said Bhikari Das, member of the Mahanagar Puja Committee.

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