Guwahati: Ambubachi Mela, held annually at Kamakhya Temple, is considered the most auspicious religious gathering in the region and state. Millions of devotees and visitors from across the world gather on this occasion. It is also considered a Mega Kumbh Mela of Northeast India and an NGO attempted to maintain cleanliness at the temple.
Environmentalist Moharana Choudhury headed a team from the NGO. It began its clean, eco-friendly awareness drive by enlightening visitors from all over the state/country/world about the significance of Nilachal Hill and the gravity of the ecological issues. Bhaskar Hazarika and Mcdonald Choudhury led the team from the main roadside towards Nilachal Hill and interacted with different devotees/visitors who were heading towards the temple on a walk. They were sensitized about the cleanliness aspect of Nilachal Hill and the temple premises, along with its sanitation and hygiene. After reaching the VIP parking of the Temple premises, the team interacted with all the line department officials like the District Administration, Assam Police, and Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The Bor Doloi also appreciated & encouraged the team for this initiative. Following this, the team has started a cleanliness drive at the temple. And they collected plastic bottles and packets of various items disposed of in the designated dustbins in coordination with the cleaning department of the temple authority.
Another team led by Sabita Dutta and Moharana Choudhury interacted randomly with devotees/visitors/Sadhus regarding the cleanliness, hygiene, health, sanitation, biological diversity and plastic-free aspects of the temple premises and the Nilachal Hill. They also enlightened the issue of single-use plastic and illustrated how to avoid using it and keep the premises clean, eco-friendly & sustainable healthy environment. Mass signature campaigns, interviews and exchange of views on sanitation, cleanliness, health-hygiene and environment-friendly vicinity were also conducted.
In the second half, the team conducted one-to-one interactions. It made aware of the carrying & disposal of single waste plastic, plastic bottles and other items to the designated dustbins in a queue entering the security checkpoint near the VIP parking area. VoE also highlights the temple premise, a clean, eco-friendly and plastic-free tourist destination cum heritage site and a rich biodiversity spot to set an example in the country towards sustainability.
Voice of Environment (A Scientific and Environmental Research Organization) is working to meet the targets of the Mission Clean Green initiative. A mission was launched as a clean, single-use, plastic-free premises vision that started at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. The NGO signed an MOU with Kamakhya (Devalaya) Temple Authority on December 22, 2016 for the same.
