Initiative helps reduce food wastage during Ganesha festival

Mangaluru: The Sarvajanika Ganeshotsava Samiti, Padangadi at Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada, introduced a system where attendees, who wasted food, were required to pay Rs 20 as a ‘kanike,' an offering to Lord Ganesha during the one-day festivity organised by the samiti on Sept 7. This was an attempt to tackle food waste during their festival celebrations. The initiative met with good success.Santhosh Kumar Jain, honorary president of the Sarvajanika Ganeshotsava Samiti, Padangadi, said that this measure was designed to raise awareness about food wastage. "We observed that at public events, people often take more food than they can eat, leading to significant waste. This initiative aims to encourage more mindful consumption of food. The result was a remarkable 40% reduction in food waste during this year's Ganeshotsava celebrations," Jain said.The 28th year celebrations organised by the samiti, involved the installation of the Lord Ganesha idol for a day on Sept 7. "Volunteers were stationed near food waste bins, and the word was spread about making Rs 20 ‘Tappu Kanike,' a traditional offering made to seek forgiveness for wasting food. We wanted to instil a sense of responsibility. Since the Ganeshotsava is funded by public contributions, it felt inappropriate to waste so much food," Jain said. Approximately 3,000 people participate in the ‘annadana', including meals during the afternoon and evening, and breakfast.This idea was inspired by Vithesh Kumar Jain, president of the Ganeshotsava committee, who noticed substantial food waste during the Mahamastakabhisheka of Bhagavan Shri Bahubali Swami earlier in the year. After efforts to address the issue by spreading awareness was taken, the volume of food waste was reduced from 18 bins to six. Encouraged by this success, the samiti decided to implement a similar but unique approach for the Ganeshotsava, said JainLooking ahead, the team plans to extend this initiative to other temple festivals and Brahmakalashotsavas in the district, to further minimise food waste and promote responsible consumption, Jain added.