Durga puja pandals with a touch of green
The Hindu
Small steps to promote sustainability are seen in Durga Puja celebrations in Chennai
Durga Puja organisers in Chennai are getting the celebrations togged in “green” by insisting that participants follow a slew of sustainability practices.
Dakshin Chennai Prabashi Cultural Association has decided upon reducing the convoy of vehicles accompanying the deity on the day of immersion.
Usually, around 20 cars hit the road on procession day, and this number will be whittled down, probably to a single digit.
As the celebrations take place on the lawns of a resort at Navalur in OMR, air-conditioners are out the window. Single-use plastic cannot make it to the venue.
“Our investment in biodegradable materials has increased and food is only served on biodegradable tableware,” says Soumitra Banerjee, vice-president, Dakshin Chennai Prabashi Cultural Association.
A majority of Associations anyway have the idol made with clay and by artisans brought from West Bengal, making the process eco-friendly as well as livelihood-based by supporting rural artisans.
This time, The Bengal Association, T. Nagar has instructed its event management company to use recyclable materials to decorate the pandals.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, rejected a plea by former special Director General of Police (DGP) Rajesh Das to restore the electricity service connection to a bungalow in Thaiyur near Kelambakkam in Chengalpattu district, and to restrain Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) officials from disturbing the power supply in future.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, permitted Anna University to deposit, in three monthly instalments, an amount of ₹73.23 lakh before the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT) as a condition to hear a statutory appeal preferred by the varsity against the Coimbatore Regional Provident Fund (RPF) Commissioner’s order to pay dues to the tune of ₹2.44 crore to contract employees.