Puja committees go plastic-free with dry-leaf utensils, hunt on for green decoration options
NEW DELHI: With the festival season around the corner, Durga Puja organisers in the national capital are going all out to support the Prime Minister’s call to phase out single-use plastic.
From getting ‘pattals’ (plates made of dried leaves) to sending awareness messages on social media to avoid plastic items in pooja stalls, the organisers are doing their bit to adhere to a plastic-free puja.
Robin Bose, general secretary of the Kashmere Gate Durga Puja Committee, said they are going back to the olden ways and distributing the puja bhog in ‘dona’—plates made of leaves or bamboo shoots.
“We have ordered 15,000 such plates from Mathura. We are also sending messages to all stall organisers that they shun cutlery made of single-use plastic,” he said.
Bose, however, said while committees such as his are trying hard to make the festivities environment friendly, the biggest hurdle is the availability of alternatives to plastic.
This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated between October 4 and October 8. Apart from food distributed as ‘bhog’, these pandals also have food stalls that use nonbiodegradable material such as plastic, thermocol and styrofoam containers, plates and cutlery to serve food and beverages. These become a major source of non-recycled waste.
“We have tried to get suppliers who can provide cutlery made of leaves or wood in such large quantities but haven’t managed to get anyone yet,” he said.
At south Delhi’s CR Park, the hub for Durga Puja pandals, organisers have also asked residents to avoid use of plastic in all pandals. “The problem is that we do not have much time in hand. Members from our committee have visited Sadar Bazaar to see what alternatives we have for plastic plates and cutlery. We have also contacted vendors in Gujarat to see if they can delivery our order by the stipulated date,” Anup Acharya, from the Chittaranjan Park Purbanchal Durga Puja Samiti, said.
Organisers in Delhi-ncr are also opting for eco-friendly alternatives for decoration of pandals as well as idols.
The government agencies and civic bodies are also holding meetings with puja samitis to ensure that there is no use of plastic. Subhash Bhadana, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) councillor, CR Park, said he has held a series of meetings with puja samitis and have got them to agree not to use plastic at pandals.
“We have decided to use only biodegradable items at pandals such as kulhads (earthen cups) to serve beverages. Also, we will not allow use of plastic water bottles and are thinking of an alternative for the same,” Bhadana said.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, Greater Kailash MLA, said nearly 14 major puja samitis in south Delhi have been advised not to use plastic. “We had a coordination meeting Tuesday on the issue. Also, we will be constructing an artificial pond at Astha Kunj, a park, for immersion of idols,” he said.
According to experts, festivals would be the best time to create greater awareness on the evils of plastic, given the high footfall at pandals.
“This is the perfect opportunity to support the movement against single-use plastic. Durga Puja is a festival heavily attended by people from all walks of life. This is the time when they could set an example by using organic material for serving food and beverages such as pattals, banana leaf and earthen pots,” Ravi Agarwal, director, Toxics Link, said.
We have tried to get suppliers who can provide cutlery made of leaves or wood in such large quantities.
ROBIN BOSE, general secretary, Kashmere Gate Durga Puja Committee
We have decided to use... earthen cups to serve beverages. Also, we will not allow use of plastic water bottles.
S BHADANA, SDMC councillor