New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS): Gurdwara Bangla Sahib has decided to ban use of all types of plastics in the shrine complex to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa, President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), said here on Tuesday the biggest heritage Sikh shrine, located in the heart of the national capital, banned disposable plates, glasses, spoons, thermocol cup and plates, and switched to steel bowls for serving drinking water and steel plates for serving langar (community food) to devotees.

According to a statement, it's also taking several other eco-friendly initiatives to become the cleanest place in the Delhi.

Around 5,000 poly bags/thermocol cup-plates used for distributing "prasad" and fruits to devotees daily have been replaced with eco-friendly jute bags and leaf bowls since October 2.

The DSGMC has set up a recycling plant, capable of handling two tonnes of flower, langar waste and dry leaves a day, to make organic manure and vermicompost.

The plant has been commissioned on an experimental basis on the zero-waste model. It will be fully commissioned later this month. It will process floral waste, minimise environmental footprint besides providing employment opportunities and resources for the shrine.

The DSGMC has shifted to piped natural gas (PNG) for preparing langar for around 35,000 persons day. Sirsa said machines have been installed in the langar hall to feed 1,500 people at one go, clean the area, for washing utensils to save water and achieve the best hygienic standards.

He said at all the open places in the gurdwara complex saplings would be planted. A solar system has been installed to check carbon emission and provide clean energy.