Ban plastic in shrines, court tells Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD: Expressing anguish over degradation of environment that seems to not spare even the temples, the Hyderabad high court on Tuesday directed Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and their respective Pollution Control Boards and endowment authorities to inform the court on the steps they are taking towards banning the use of plastic in all temples in both the states.

A bench of Chief Justice TB Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhatt, which took up sanitation in temples as a PIL, observed that " human beings are the worst visitors on planet earth." Devotees bring their puja material in plastic covers and throw the covers on the temple premises, the bench said. Advocates general of the twin states have been asked to put forth the efforts of the authorities in this regard from the next hearing. The case was posted to next week.

The Supreme Court had earlier directed all high courts to ensure proper facilities to devotees in the temples as it came across scores of problems the devotees are facing on account of lack of sanitation. Following a direction from the HC, the district judges are now furnishing reports to the high court about the conditions prevailing in the temples under their purview. District judges of Nizamabad and Warangal furnished reports, narrating the woes of the devotees.