Green forum pledges to slay pollution demon

KOLKATA: Forum for Durgotsab, an umbrella organization representing 350 leading pujas in the city, has joined hands with non-government organisations to take a pledge to rid the festival of litter and sound pollution.
Speaking to TOI, Forum for Durgotsab president Partho Ghosh said puja organisers in Kolkata would strive to keep the pandal surroundings clean and green and help civic authorities manage the waste generated by lakhs of pandalhoppers.
“Over the years, major Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata have shunned playing loud music. The transition that began in the 1990s when awards were instituted and themes came into vogue has become a norm now. But there are other aspects that need similar attention and change. We will be making a concerted effort with others to ensure that the environment does not become a casualty,” said Ghosh.
Led by Sabuj Mancha, a platform of several green outfits in Kolkata and elsewhere, the initiative includes Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, Concern for Calcutta, WWF-India and Legal Initiative for Forest & Environment.
Ghosh admitted that mere awareness campaigns did not work with educated people littering the streets despite the presence of garbage bins. “We have to create a different culture, like the one that exists in the Metro. The very people who litter outside the Metro behave themselves when they go underground. Children in our locality will keep a vigil and tell adults not to litter if they spot someone doing so,” said the functionary of south Kolkata puja Shib Mandir.
Naba Dutta of Sabuj Mancha said around 60-70 banners with messages highlighting the concerns of polluting the environment would be strung up at vantage points across the city, not only during Durga Puja but also at Kali Puja when sound violation peaks.