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Green Puja awards: 75 pujas shortlisted in city

Final judgement on Saptami, global prize is also at stake

The Plurals News Network Published 29.09.22, 09:05 PM
Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja is one of the 75 shortlisted pujas

Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja is one of the 75 shortlisted pujas Amit Datta/My Kolkata

If Durga Puja is all about pandal-hopping, new clothes and happy faces, it’s also about blaring loudspeakers, dazzling lights run on diesel generators and idols painted with toxic colours being immersed in the river. But puja organisers are gradually realising the need to make the festival environment-friendly and Serader Sera Nirmal Pujo Puroskar, sponsored by The Bengal in association with Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), a globally known environment outfit, and My Kolkata, is here to laud such initiatives.

The awards were launched in 2007 by Environment Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO), a non-profit outfit, with the dual objectives of reducing environmental stress during Puja as well as promoting green awareness using the festival as a medium.

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“This year we have received about 250 applications, out of which 75 have been shortlisted for jury visits. Seven jury teams will physically visit these pandals and, based on their assessment, seven regional toppers will be selected. The final judgement will be on October 1 and 2 (Sashthi and Saptami) and the results are expected to be announced on Saptami evening,” said Sujata Basu of EnGIO.

Around 40 judges, including French consul general Didier Talpain, Bangladesh deputy high commissioner Andalib Elias, German deputy consul general Isolde Aust, Sister Nivedita University vice-chancellor Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, physician and former sheriff of Kolkata Dulal Bose and Future Hope CEO and former head of British Council Sujata Sen, will assess how green the pujas are.

“Apart from the physical judging, there will also be an online global judgement this year involving well-known environmental experts from outside Kolkata and from other countries. These results are expected to be announced later,” Basu said.

H.M. Bangur, the president of The Bengal, said Durga Puja is not just another festival of Bengal. “It’s an emotion, this time all the more so because of the two-year pandemic gap. I wish it is a safe Puja for everyone and all environmental concerns are adequately taken care of,” he said.

H.M. Bangur, the president of The Bengal, shares his thoughts on Durga Puja and Sera Nirmal Pujo Puroskar

Dulal Bose, adviser to EnGIO, has been involved with the awards since its inception. “It is more of a movement than an award. Be it use of less use of toxic paint, green immersion, less energy use in decoration and environment-related themes for pujas, this award has played a key role in evolution of the city’s pujas,” Bose said.

When the award was initiated in 2007, there was only one environment-themed puja in the entire city, now almost one in every four pujas is themed on environment, an expert associated with the award said. He also pointed out that the award was acclaimed by the Union government, when Jairam Ramesh was the environment minister, and also by an international organisation working on environmental stress during socio-religious mega events.

Here are the 75 shortlisted pujas:

1 20-Er Pally Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

2 Abasar Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity

3 AD Block Residents Club Durgotsab Committee

4 Ahiritola Jubak Brinda

5 Alipore Sarbojanin

6 Aswininagar Bandhu Mahal Club

7 Aurobinda Setu Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti

8 Baghajatin Tarun Sangha

9 Ballygunge Durga Puja Samity

10 Barisha Club

11 Barisha Netaji Sangha

12 Barisha Sabuj Sathi Club

13 Behala Friends

14 Behala Nutan Dal

15 Beleghata Sarkar Bazar Milan Sangha

16 Beleghata Sarkar Bazar Vivekananda Sangha

17 Bose Pukur Sitala Mandir Committee Durgotsab

18 Brahmapur Sanmilani Sangha

19 Chaltabagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

20 Chaulpatty National Sporting Club

21 Chetla Agrani Club

22 Dakshinpara Durgotsab Committee

23 Darjeepara Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samity

24 Darpanarayan Tagore Street Pally Samity

25 Dhakuria Sarbojanin Durgotsab

26 Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha Puja Committee

27 Dum Dum Tarun Dal

28 Dumdum Park Bharat Chakra

29 Dumdum Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee

30 E Block Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

31 EE Block Saradotsav Committee

32 FD Block Sarbojanin Puja Committee

33 Golf Green Sarosdotsava Committee

34 Gouriberia Sarbojanin Durgotsab O Pradarshani

35 Haridevpur Adarsha Samity

36 Hatibagan Nabin Pally

37 Hatibagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee

38 Hazra Park Durgotsab

39 Hindusthan Park Durgotsab Committee

40 Hindusthan Park Sarbojanin Durgotsab Committee

41 Jorabagan Chhatra Sanghati

42 Judge Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav

43 Kalighat Milan Sangha

44 Kalighat Nepal Bhattacharjee Street Club

45 Kalighat Sree Sangha

46 Kankurgachi Milan Mela Samity

47 Lalabagan Nabankur

48 Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durgapuja Committee

49 Mukundapur Sarbojanin Durgotsav committee

50 NSC Sports Club

51 Nabapalli Sarbojonin Durgotsav

52 Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin Durgotsab

53 New Santoshpur Adi Durgotsab

54 Nimtala Sarbojanin Durgotsab Committee

55 Nirvik Sangha Puja Committee

56 Pally Unnayan Samity, Paschim Putiary

57 Prafulla Kanan Sarbajanin Durgotsav

58 Purbachal Sakti Sangha

59 Putiary Club Sarbojanin Durgotsab

60 Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha

61 Rammohan Sammilani

62 Rupchand Mukherjee Lane Sarbojanin Durgotsab

63 Samaj Sebi Sangha

64 Shastribagan Sporting Club

65 Shibmandir Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samiti

66 Shibrampur Yubashakti Club & Library

67 Suruchi Sangha

68 Swapnarbagan Yubak Brinda Purba Manicktala Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samity

69 Tala Barowari Durgotsav Samity

70 Taltala Sarbajanin Saradiya Puja Committee

71 Tridhara Akalbodhan

72 Ultadanga Pallyshree

73 Uttar Kolkata Sanhati Sporting Club

74 Ward No. 1 Sadharan Durgotsav O Pradarshani (Jagat Mukherjee Park)

75 Welington Nagarik Kalyan Samity

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