Sabarimala: Kerala High Court orders complete ban on plastic including in ‘Irumudikettu’ [Read Order]

Even as the debate surrounding ban on entry of women into the Sabarimala temple is raging in Supreme Court, the Kerala High Court yesterday ordered a complete ban on plastic in all forms in Sabarimala including in the Irumudikettu, the travel pouch carried by devotees containing offerings for Lord Ayyappa and personal belongings of the devotee..The direction was issued by a Bench of Justices PR Ramachandra Menon and Devan Ramachandran after considering Sabarimala Special Commissioner Report..The Court began its order by giving a peek into the ecological damage caused by plastic including to wildlife and water..“They wreak massive havoc on human beings endanger our life and impoverish our environment. The risk associated with the use and disposal of plastic including pollution to water and wildlife and the growing body of evidence of ecological damage caused by decomposing plastic are creating serious global concerns”..The Court also noted in its order about the death of an elephant at Cheiryanavattom in which the animal’s stomach and intestinal tracts were found to have large amounts of plastic..It then observed that the urgency to confront this grimace is extremely necessary in Sabarimala since the temple is located in the buffer zone of Periyar wildlife sanctuary and included within the territorial confines of Periyar Tiger Reserve..The fact that the shrine draws countless pilgrims is posing an ecological emergency to the delicate eco-system. One of the reasons for the same, the court stated was the indiscriminate use of plastic..The ease of convenience of using plastic including bottles, sachets, wraps, drinking straws and covers and the accumulation of these products strewn indiscriminately in and around hills has led to ominous plastic pollution in Sabarimala and Pampa river, the Court stated..“Time has now come for all of us to re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of Sabarimala and to preserve it in the same pristine manner as we and earlier generations found it”, it said..The court noted that it had earlier passed an order in December 2015 banning plastic in Sabarimala but it was construed by devotees and traders as an order merely banning plastic bottles and pet bottles. Use of small plastic sachets and packets for carrying Pooja articles by devotees and sale of food by traders in plastic covers continued..The Court adverted to the report of the Special Commissioner as per which Irumudikettu carried by devotees contain several plastic articles including sachets and covers for carrying turmeric, camphor, ‘Bhasmam’ etc. and how plastic covers ended up carelessly tossed around the temple and hills..The Court, therefore, proceeded to order a complete ban on plastic including in ‘Irumudikettu’ in and around Sabarimala..“We therefore deem it essential and imperative to now order complete ban of plastic in whatever manner and whatever form be that bottles, sachets, wraps, covers, drinking straw or any other including for carrying Pooja articles in the ‘Irumudikettu’ and we direct the concerned authorities to ensure that plastic, in which ever form it be, do not find itself in and around Sabarimala.” .Read the order below.