PNS|Eluru
The famous hill shrine Dwaraka Tirumala was declared a ‘smoke-free zone’ on Tuesday. In a ceremonial event, Eluru District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh presented the formal declaration to Trinath Rao, Executive Officer of the Dwaraka Tirumala Venkateswara temple.
Dr. Prashant, the State NCD (Non-Communicable Diseases) programme officer, highlighted that other prominent temples like Tirupati and Vijayawada Kanakadurga temple in Andhra Pradesh had already been recognised as smoke-free zones. Following the same trajectory, Dwaraka Tirumala now stands as a smoke-free zone, backed by a comprehensive series of awareness programs and rallies that were meticulously executed over a six-month period to educate the public about the smoking prohibition.
Eluru District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh formally proclaimed Dwaraka Tirumala hill shrine as a smoke-free zone by appending his signature to the declaration document. He then presented the certificate to the temple authorities. This initiative brings Dwaraka Tirumala in alignment with other notable temples such as Tirupati and Vijayawada Kanaka Durga in South India, along with Dwaraka Tirumala and Vaishno Devi temple in North India, all of which have been acknowledged as smoke-free zones.
Siva Shankar, the State Legal Adviser for Smoke-Free Zones, clarified that the Indian government has established regulations that prohibit the sale of tobacco products in the vicinity of temples. Dwaraka Tirumala’s recognition as a smoke-free zone is a direct result of these governmental directives.
EO Trinadh Rao expressed his satisfaction upon receiving the certificate designating the temple as a tobacco-free area. He emphasised that this recognition elevates the responsibilities of temple officials and staff.
The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries including Dr. Manasa, the NCD District Programme Officer, Dr. Nageswara Rao from the DMHO (District Medical and Health Officer), and Rajesh, the Tehsildar, among others.
