Thiruvananthapuram decks up for greener iftars

Thiruvananthapuram: The city will have greener ‘iftar’ parties this time. Representatives from around 25 mosques within the corporation limits attended the  Ramzan green protocol meeting called  by the corporation on Tuesday, which health officials say is a  positive sign. Last year, when the corporation attempted to initiate a green protocol campaign during Ramzan, only a handful turned up for the meeting. “They could all be fitted into the mayor’s chamber. But this time, we had to use the mini conference hall. Mayor V.K. Prasanth said that this was a healthy change,” said  an official. 

Jama’ath presidents at some of the mosques have said  that they have already bought steel plates and tumblers. If they need additional plates, they will be able to use over 10,000 steel plates that the corporation has. Officials say that there could be around 60 mosques across the city. A letter from the mayor will be delivered to  the mosques, from which representatives did not turn up. This time, they hope that every mosque will be covered. Even individuals usually offer Iftar parties through mosques. So the  quantity  of inorganic waste can be brought down to a great extent. There will be surprise visits from health officials to ensure that all mosques comply with the norms.

The Jama’ath presidents of the mosques at Palayam, Thampanoor, Kumarapuram and Vizhinjam  as well as Suchitwa Mission and Haritha Keralam representatives attended the  meeting. They also shared some concerns and the mayor promised to take swift action. At Thampanoor, many people were desecrating the mosque premises. So an additional sanitation worker will be permanently posted there to keep a watch. Since streetlights near the mosques at Vizhinjam and Kumarapuram are not working, the mayor has promised to take necessary steps.