The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched an eco-friendly initiative to recycle flowers and other items offered at puja pandals into incense sticks, starting with Ganesh Puja this year.
Dedicated BMC vehicles will collect used flowers, fruits, diyas, incense, and other ritual materials from pandals across the city. The collected items will then be processed at a newly established incense production unit in Palasuni.
BMC Additional Commissioner Kailash Chandra Das said the initiative aims to reduce temple waste and promote sustainable practices. “We are on a mission for plastic-free puja,” he added.
The recycled incense sticks will later be made available in the local market, allowing citizens to participate in this environmentally friendly effort.
