Plastic bags banned in Vrindavan

Mathura: A court has banned the use of plastic bags in Uttar Pradesh`s temple town of Vrindavan.

A bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered the ban on use of plastic and polythene items in Vrindavan. The district magistrate of Mathura has been asked to form a committee to monitor the implementation of the ban order. The court order was the result of a petition by Braj Life-Line Welfare Association, which highlighted the failure of the sewage treatment plants in the district. The division bench asked the district magistrate to file a status report on the state of cleanliness and sanitation in the Mathura-Vrindavan area. Authorities have been asked to launch an awareness campaign to discourage use of polythene and plastic bags. Vrindavan music maestro Acharya Jaimini welcomed the court initiative. Jaimini told a news agency: "Everywhere in Vrindavan you have heaps of garbage piled up. The polythene bags are a huge nuisance choking drains and sewer, causing inconvenience to pilgrims." "It is a welcome move. The people of Vrindavan will respond positively to ensure that the holy town presents a cleaner profile in future," he added. Millions of pilgrims visit the holy shrines associated with Sri Krishna in Mathura district, round the year. IANS