Bhubaneswar: To manage approximately two tonnes of daily flower waste during Ganesh Chaturthi, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started a flower-to-incense processing unit in Pokhariput here.
Operational until late November, the unit will segregate and process flower waste collected from 371 Ganesh Puja mandaps across the three zones under the BMC limits, using dedicated vehicles. “Zonal commissioners have already held meetings with pandal committee members. In each zone, a dedicated vehicle will visit the pandals twice daily to collect puja waste, with local sanitation inspectors coordinating the process,” the BMC said in a release.
Named ‘Aastha Turns Aesthetic,’ the initiative involves drying and grinding 1.5 tonnes of segregated flowers into powder, mixing it with scents to form a paste, and crafting incense sticks. “This initiative has three impacts: faith, aesthetics, and environment. Before such measures, collected waste was typically dumped in water bodies or other garbage sites, polluting the environment and disregarding people’s religious sentiments. Additionally, the city’s aesthetic appeal was compromised. This step will enhance the city’s beauty and environmental health while respecting citizens’ religious sentiments and traditions.”
The BMC plans to sell these incense sticks to private buyers. It has already successfully conducted the pre-commissioning tests.
To prevent drain blockages, no puja flower waste will be discarded untreated, and households are being encouraged to separate puja waste for collection by sanitation workers.