New Delhi: In a first for the iconic Ramlila Maidan, a Ravana effigy made of discarded plastic was lowered into an incinerator here, as a symbolic gesture of utilising plastic for making cement.

The 35-feet effigy stood along with the traditional effigies used in 'Ravana Dahan' during the festival of Dusshera. This fourth effigy was shot down and disposed mechanically as part of an initiative by the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

"Plastic would be used as a replacement of coal if it is rightfully used. If you burn plastics otherwise, then it may emit foul gasses. When it gets burnt at 1,400 degrees Celsius, its hydrocarbons gets fully burnt so it becomes environment-friendly," Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd Group CEO and CMA President Mahendra Singhi told IANS here.

"The social message we are trying to give is dispose waste in a way that it doesn't pollute," he said. The event was also attended by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian Vijay Goel, who linked the move to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to reduce the use of single-use plastics. According to CMA, this destruction of the plastic waste Ravana effigy took place across five cities in India, including Delhi, Noida, Lucknow, Raipur, and Ahmedabad.