Flowers from Modi-Abe visit not to wilt

Lucknow: The tons of flowers used to decorate the Dashashwamedh Ghat during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Saturday last week will not be allowed to wilt away.

These flowers will spread fragrance in homes and leave a lesson for future generations.

According to sources, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to use the flowers to make herbal colour and incense sticks.

“Tons of flowers were used to decorate the entire venue for the VIP visit. The flowers used in the decorations included roses, tuberoses and marigolds. Instead of simply dumping he flowers in garbage heaps, we have decided to hand them over to a Delhi-based organization Society for Child Development (SCD) that has expertise i converting flower petals into useful items,” said a VMC official.

The SCD has been working in Varanasi and takes flowers form several temples. It gets orphans and mentally challenged children to learn the art of making colour and incense sticks out of the flower petals.

Two mini trucks full of flowers used to decorate the venue were sent to the hospital where mentally challenged children will process them to make colour and incense sticks. Flowers with a strong fragrance like roses are used to make incense sticks.