Mathura To Celebrate First-Ever Plastic-Free Janmashtami

IIn a first, Mathura will celebrate a plastic-free Janmashtami this year, District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said on Thursday.

“Devotees, shopkeepers and locals are urged not to use polythene bags or other plastic items. People have been made aware of alternatives and encouraged to adopt them to curb the plastic menace,” Singh said.

He noted that a similar initiative during the Mudhiya Puno fair in Govardhan this July had yielded “highly encouraging results.” Singh said that the entire Shri Krishna Janmasthan area has been cleared of encroachments and beautification work carried out to provide a better experience for devotees arriving from across the globe.

Additional District Magistrate Dr Amresh Kumar said several teams have been deployed in the city to raise awareness about the environmental damage caused by plastic use.

Mathura MP and Bollywood actress Hema Malini urged citizens to ensure that the effort succeeds. “Plastic is choking the city, and on Lord Krishna’s birthday, we must pledge to make our city plastic-free,” she said.

Security arrangements have been stepped up for the festival, Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said. The city has been divided into sectors and zones, with CCTV cameras, drones, and more than 3,000 police, PAC and RAF personnel deployed. A QR code-based parking system has also been introduced for the convenience of devotees.

“Police are keeping a close watch on social media platforms as well,” Kumar added.