Raksha Bandhan: Siddipet’s women come up with eco-friendly rakhis

District Panchayat Officer Devaki Devi has trained hundreds of women roping in the services of panchayat secretaries across the district to make eco-friendly rakhis using just leaves, flowers, pulses, nuts and paper.

Siddipet: Making Raksha Bandhan celebrations eco-friendly for women and their brothers in Siddipet this year, District Panchayat Officer Devaki Devi has trained hundreds of women roping in the services of panchayat secretaries across the district to make eco-friendly rakhis using just leaves, flowers, pulses, nuts and paper.

Since traditional rakhi makers were using plastic and other non-biodegradable materials, they remain in the soil for many years, causing harm to the soil and nature. To address this issue, Devaki Devi came up with the idea of eco-friendly rakhis. Devi held training programmes in Nanganuru, Gurralgondi and Ponnala villages. She also directed panchayat secretaries to conduct such training programmes in making eco-friendly rakhis across the villages of Siddipet district.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Devi said the training programmes for women were held in 240 villages across the district. Panchayat secretaries had suggested the trained women distribute the rakhis made by them to women in their villages so that the use of regular rakhis can be restricted.

Kavya of Gurralagondi village in Chinnakoduru said she would tie the rakhis to her brothers made by her own hands this time, just harvesting flowers and leaves in their backyard. Stating that it would give a great feeling, Kavya said she always used to buy them in shops until this year.

The eco-friendly rakhis were made using leaves of mango, sacred fig tree, Moduga and other leaves, flowers like chrysanthemum, marigold, jasmine, rose and other flowers. The women also made rakhis using pulses, pista, cashews and others.

Devi has said that the rakhis would remain fresh from 24 to 48 hours if they were kept in cool places.