The Book Fair is one of the biggest crowd pullers in Kolkata with thousands thronging the fairground every day. With so many stalls and so many visitors, chances of damage to the environment are also high. But for the past couple of years, the organisers have been taking special care to make the fair eco-friendly.
My Kolkata spoke to Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, honorary secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, to know more about the green measures being taken.
“We have banned plastic. Almost 90% of the book stalls are using paper bags or bags made of synthetic material. Some food stalls are still using plastic, but we have asked them to stop,’’ said Chatterjee.
The National Jute Board has set up stalls by several small enterprises to encourage visitors to buy bags to carry the books they buy. “National Jute Board, our environment partner this year, has positioned 13 stalls throughout the fair ground. These stalls are selling jute products, primarily bags,” Chatterjee said. These bags not only have enough space to carry several books, but are also durable. The bags also showcase artworks depicting the talent of small-time entrepreneurs.
The National Jute Board has set up 13 stalls by several small enterprises to encourage visitors to buy bags to carry the books they buy
Every year, visitors are provided with free water pouches that add to the problem of disposal. “Visitors used to dump these plastic pouches all over the place. However, this time, there’s a manual overseer to make sure that visitors drop the pouches in the dustbins,” Chatterjee said.
Every year, visitors are provided with free water pouches and this year the disposal of the pouches is being manually monitored
“Fire hydrants are stationed at various points and we draw water from these to sprinkle on the ground every morning and night. We have put in a lot of effort to keep the premises clean,” said Chatterjee.
Bins have been placed in multiple locations throughout the Boimela Prangan
Apart from announcing programme timings and notifications, the public address system is being used to urge the visitors to adhere to green norms. “We are constantly pleading with the visitors through the PA system not to use plastic carry bags. Representatives of the Pollution Control Board have also visited the stalls and have also urged stall owners to keep the Boimela Prangan plastic-free,” Chatterjee said.
CESC has also taken initiatives to keep the prangan clean. “While CESC is promoting electric vehicles and the Guild is taking all measures, visitors should also realise the importance of going green at such a massive event,” Chatterjee added.
A prototype of an e-scooter put on display by CESC
My Kolkata also spotted dustbins at regular intervals, in front of book stalls, near open stages, food stalls and the food court and especially near the sitting areas. These dustbins and vats are regularly cleaned by attendees. There are also segregation bins for dry and wet waste.
