The majority of the 160 Durga Puja committees in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi have decided to embrace eco-friendly practices.

SwitchON Foundation, an NGO that has footprints across the country, along with implementing partners Manthan Yuva Sansthan, had met the Ranchi Mahanagar Durga Puja Samity (apex body coordinating puja activities in Ranchi) and made the senior members recognise the need for a more sustainable and eco-friendly approach to puja celebrations and even shared suggestions on this front.

“These suggestions were intended to empower Durga Puja organising committees and the general public to embrace environmentally responsible practices during the festival,” said the foundation’s spokesperson Gargi Maitra.

Panch Mandir Durga Puja Samiti in Harmu Colony, Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee on Railway Station Road and other puja committees from Ranchi and Dhanbad joined hands to take part in this year’s eco-friendly puja celebration.

“We have seen that festivities often result in environmental challenges, including excess waste generation, pollution, and resource depletion. To raise public awareness about the importance of adopting eco-friendly practices during Durga Puja celebrations, SwitchON came up with sustainable suggestions for eco-friendly puja Celebrations,” said Maitra.

“Our aim is to preserve our culture while minimising the environmental footprint associated with these festivities. We invite all organising committees and the public to embrace these sustainable guidelines and work together for an eco-friendly Durga Puja,” said MD of SwitchON Foundation, Vinay Jaju.

The puja organising committees, through posters and leaflets, were made aware to ensure the use of biodegradable and eco-friendly cutlery for the distribution of food (bhog) along with potable water stations with reusable containers. Cultural events would be organised about the importance of eco-friendly Durga Puja celebrations.

“This apart, posters and banners on sustainable Do’s and Don’ts have been fixed in the pandal area. We have given a special focus on waste management and urged the puja committees to keep well-labelled dustbins for dry and wet waste. Training has also been provided to recycle the wet waste into composting,” added Maitra.

“This year we are giving attention to proper waste disposal during the Puja and even post Puja (immersion). The wet wastes like flowers, leftover prasad and other biodegradable offerings would be used for making compost,” said Rajeev Kumar, general secretary of Pancha Mandir Durga Puja Samity, Ranchi.

“We believe in responsible resource management for a better environment. We will make the public aware of the importance of resource reuse and inspire action at both individual and community levels,” said Munchun Rai, the president of Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee and chief patron of Ranchi Mahanagar Durga Puja Samity.