ECO EUPHORIA

The buzz of the chaotic Kankurgachi bazaar still ringing in your head,the drive towards Maniktala is usually a hurried one. It won’t be surprising then,if the Kankurgachi Mitali pandal passes by in the speed frenzy,as a bright blur of red and gold. For those who would care to take a peek inside,the experience would be fairly rewarding. While the thermocol version of dokra work is quite interesting,what catches your eye is the rainwater harvesting system they have on display in the pandal. “We only talk about rain water harvesting in high rises. But here,we have tried to show how rainwater can be harvested in small houses with asbestos and clay tiled roofs,” says Kauhsik Dutta,a member of the organizing committee. And Mitali is not the only Puja which is looking at greener avenues of celebration. Joining the eco-bandwagon is the Suruchi Sangha puja at New Alipore. The pandal premises,which recreate a tribal hamlet in Jharkhand,is completely a green affair. Trees,plants,saplings and grass abound the enclosure and the pandal itself is one made of twigs and leaves. Though,the pandal was designed keeping in mind the real homes of the Jharkhand tribal,the abundance of greenery has a statement to make,feels the organizers. “When you see such greenery in the middle of the city,you get an idea of what you might be missing out on,in this concrete jungle. We intend to motivate people to plant more trees,” says Arup Biswas,member of the organizing committee. The answer to global warming too,feels Biswas,lies in planting trees like in the pandal. The goodness of nature makes yet another appearance in the form of the Hatibagan Nabin Pally in north Kolkata. The pandal,which explores the rich history and relevance of Ayurvedic medicines was created to make people aware of the correct use of herbs,fruits,roots etc. “We intend to guide people towards using more Ayurvedic concoctions to battle ailments,” says Kamaldip Dhar,a Visva Bharati pro fessor who conceptualized the Puja this time.

And not just in theme,environmental consciousness has seeped in to the basics of organizing Pujas. The Chaltabagan Lohapatty Puja committee in north Kolkata,has mostly used solar-powered lights to illuminate the area around the pandal. The decision to use solar lights was made,keeping not only its cost-effectiveness in mind,also its eco-friendliness. “There’s so much extra electricity consumed during the Pujas. We hope to contribute towards lessening that even if in a small way,” says a member of the organizers. Biggies like the College Square and Ahiritola Sarbojonin Puja have switched to LED lighting this year.

The F D Block Puja in Salt Lake has used lead-free paint for the idols. The pandal,which resembles a south Indian temple,is done up mostly with biodegradable items like wood,palm leaves,clay. “We used lead free paint,which costs more than the leaded variety,in an attempt to promote eco-friendliness among Puja organizers. The city suffers from extreme degrees of air,soil,water pollution during the Puja revelry and the organizers can contribute in decreasing that considerably,” says Ranjit Roy,secretary of the Puja.