The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come out with eco-friendly biodegradable bags for laddus at Tirumala temple. DRDO Chairman Satish Reddy along with Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) Executive Officer Dr KS Jawahar Reddy and Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy inaugurated an exclusive sale counter at Tirumala on Sunday. Later talking to media persons outside the Laddu Complex where the new counter was launched, the DRDO Chairman said the Advance Systems Laboratory of DRDO in Hyderabad has been doing a lot of research and inventing ways to find the best environment-friendly replacement for hazardous plastic.
"To minimize single use plastic, we have come out with these eco-friendly bags made of starch of corn which degrade naturally within 90 days and are also not harmful even if the cattle consume them. After a detailed research and rigorous testing of the formula, we have come out with these bags for Tirumala," he said. He pointed out that the conventional polyethylene bags made from petrochemicals are toxic to the environment and take nearly 200 years to degrade. In contrast, these bags would be offered as a sustainable, cost-effective and ocean-safe alternative to such plastic products, he added.
TTD EO said, the launch of biodegradable bags by DRDO is a remarkable initiative and an eco-friendly measure. "Products like these are essential for the survival of mankind. After observing the response from the pilgrims for a few days, we are planning to commence its sales in a full-fledged manner," he said
The TTD, the custodian of the renowned Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple recently held the 'Dosha Nivarana' festival on Wednesday. It is a three-day event aimed at removing sins. As part of the festival, priests symbolically seek forgiveness from the deity for the sins committed consciously or unconsciously while conducting daily rituals throughout the year. Celebrated annually during the important days of ekadasi, dwadasi and trayodasi in the auspicious month of Sravana, the forgiveness festival was ushered in nearly 560 years ago by Saluva Mallaiah Deva Raja.