Green activists in Odisha's Ganjam urge candidates to avoid using plastic flags, banners

Berhampur, Odisha: As candidates gear up for campaigning in the Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, green activists in Ganjam district appealed to all political parties to use eco-friendly materials during electioneering.

Candidates and political parties are requested to use only eco-friendly campaign materials which can be recycled and to avoid non-biodegradable poll materials like plastic flags, banners and flexes, said Sudhir Rout, an environmentalist.

"In the last several elections, we have seen candidates and political parties use several non-biodegradable materials during the campaign. This practice causes harm to the environment," he said.

Rout, the director of Aryabhatta Foundation, an organisation that works for raising awareness on protection of environment, said much before the poll announcement, they had written to the Election Commission to ensure the green protocol in polling stations and counting centres.

"We are happy as ECI has directed the election officers to make some eco-friendly polling stations as model booths in districts and asked political parties to adopt eco-friendly measures during the campaign," he said.

"We are now appealing to candidates to adopt such a step to protect the environment," he said.

Sabuja Bahini, a city-based organisation which campaigned against nailing banners and flags on trees in the last election, also appealed to candidates to avoid such practice of nailing banners or flags in trees in the elections.

Ramesh Chandra Chaupatnaik, BJD Ganjam district president said his party do not use the plastic flags during campaigning. "We use party flags made in cotton clothes," he said.

Subash Sahu, BJP Ganjam district president also made similar claims.