Acting on a number of requests from non-governmental organisations and environmentalists, the Commission has also issued strict and clear instructions that the staff and vehicles of wildlife sanctuaries and national game parks would be exempted from election duty.

Following a request from two wildlife specialists, Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill has said that the staff of such sanctuaries and game parks will continue with their "prime duty" of protecting the diminishing wildlife of the country.

The two naturalists, Fateh Singh Rathore and Valmik Thapar, had written to the CEC drawing his attention to the danger of poachers having a field day if the staff of national game parks and sanctuaries were put on election duty.

World Wide Fund for Nature-India had also petitioned the Election Commission saying theexcessive use of plastic by political parties during election leads to choked drains and sewage systems.

Unlike in the past, when banners and party flags were made of cloth or paper, the new trend in the past few elections was to use thin plastic sheets. However, this brand of thin plastic is also non-biodegradable and is a threat to the environment.

Expressing its concern, the Commission in a letter to all the recognised national and state political parties, has asked them to give the issue the seriousness it deserves and also instruct their party cadres to avoid plastic and polythene.