Kerala town bans banana leaves – militant environmentalism on the rise
November 5th, 2008
The militant environmentalists hold unbelievable power in Kerala and they are capable of pushing complete nonsense to make it laws. I have written infinite times how they are destroying Kerala. But the following is too funny to ignore!
What caught my attention recently was a news item featured in Times of India e-paper (An online version of the offline newspaper edition). The article written by Sreenivasa Raghavan talks about the Banana leaves ban in Vadakara,
Vadakara (Kerala): Next time you drive into this Kerala town and settle down for a traditional spread at a hotel, you’ll find a key feature sorely missing—the plantain leaves. The municipal authorities have announced a clampdown on use of plantain leaves by hotels from November 5.
The authorities have couched their ban argument in an NGO study that says plantain leaves pose threat to environment—a caveat that’s just ridiculous. Recently, the neighboring Sri Lankan government approved preparing food wrappers from banana leaves to fight environmental hazards caused by polythene covers. And the talk of a ban in Kerala!
The ban is prompted by a recommendation by the Suchithva Mission Governmental Nodal Agency for Sanitation Activities. Edayath Sreedharan, chairman, health standing committee of the municipality, says the ban was in force in September, but very few hotels fell in line. Very few hotels complied with the ban diktat at a great price — they were losing business. They trooped into the municipal office, demanding total ban or a rollback.
So now they want to ban banana leaves? It is one thing for some nut cases wanting to ban banana leaves, but it takes it to a ridiculous level when an NGO starts taking the role of government. It is interesting to note the surprise of the journalist! I think he is new to Kerala 
Note: You can find this item on TOI e-paper by looking at the 10th page of November 1st newspaper edition. Here is a screenshot (Kerala town bans plantain leaves),
At this rate we will soon see all types of paper banned in Kerala since they are made from wood. We can then go back our old ways of using sand for writing.
This forces me to add a new category “WTF?” to this blog.
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November 8th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Though I disagree with a ban on banana leaves, I am very curious why they have decided this? Is it because what ever will take their place has more of an economic benefit for someone? Will using something beside banana leaves also raise price for customers?
It made me wonder something else. I live in US. We buy banana leaves occasionally for Onam, etc. This year for the first time I put our used banana leaves in our compost pile. Up until a month later it is not decomposing like the other vegetables, etc. I wonder why this is…
November 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
You may be using plastic banana leaves!
December 12th, 2008 at 10:12 am
@Jennifer, Manoj
Nope, the leaves are all sprayed with cancer causing pesticides and fungicides, so that they won’t get spoilt quickly. Almost all fruits and vegetables are sprayed with harmful carcinogenic chemicals. Apples nowadays don’t get rotten even if we don’t keep them in the fridge. The government machineries are not effective in controlling this.
So next time you buy any plant stuff, think twice, you may be buying cancer!
Try to cultivate and consume vegetables you can grow in your farm, if you can.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:38 am
@satish.
The leaves need not be sprayed with pesticides as they dont harvest it and store it.
Did you know that after the banana tree gives fruit once it will never give fruit again, The tree has to be cut and the leaves have to be used.
So wether you use leaves or dont, The leaves are going to pile up. If not in the garbage bins atleast outside banana farms
This is really ridiculous.
A banana leaf dries up and bio degrades in a matter of days.
I think this is a conspiracy by some steel vendor, who is going to make tons of money as all the hotels will have to buy plates and tons of it.
I dont know why these steel companies cannot think right.(if this is a conspiracy) There is so much research that has linked plastics with cancers and are been banned all over the world. They can try to get some NGO to research that and ban all plastic in the city so people will have to buy steel containers, bowls, plates, glasses. They will sell more steel that they would with ban of banana leaves
November 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
I have started a scholastic campaign in Trivandrum district of Kerala, where banana is cultivated widely, to make these growers avoid use of carcinogenic fertilizers and utilize some of the effective bio-inoculants
a scientist