Unsold banana plants nourish elephants, clean Guwahati

Guwahati: Continuing its successful eco-friendly practice from previous years, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has collected unsold banana plants from across city markets during Diwali to support the feeding of elephants at the Assam state zoo and Garbhanga Reserve Forest. This initiative is not only to provide nutritious food to these mammals, but also to promote waste reduction and environmental sustainability in the city.Banana plants are commonly used as stands for ‘diyas’ in households during Diwali celebrations. However, many of these plants remain unsold and are even discarded by the sellers who transport it from the villages. Recognising this, the GMC launched a drive to collect, clean them thoroughly, and transport them safely to designated feeding areas for the elephants.Bonita Chetia, the executive officer of GMC at Division 4, said, “This year, about 500kg of banana plants were collected. These were then kept in an empty plot in the city’s chabipool area. These undergo strict checks to ensure that there is no firecracker powder, which could harm the elephants. The vehicles carrying the plants are also cleaned and disinfected before these reach the animals,” the officer said.“In the state, banana plants are traditionally used. However, not all the plants get sold and the sellers cannot carry them back. So, instead of letting these plants turn into organic waste, we ensure that these are converted into food for these animals and also maintain cleanliness in the city,” she said.Although, the initiative is indeed praiseworthy, Chetia said the quantity of banana plants collected for the elephants this year was significantly lower compared to last year, when approximately 100,000 kg was ere provided. “Despite the trade in banana plants usually thriving during Diwali, a noticeable number of sellers did not come this year due to the unfortunate death of Zubeen Garg. As a result, the volume of plants made available to the elephants dropped,” she said.Chetia said going forward, the GMC plans to continue taking similar initiatives to effectively manage the city’s organic waste.