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In Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, most of the 160 Durga Puja committees have made the decision to adopt environmentally friendly rituals.

An environmentally conscious and more sustainable approach to puja celebrations is needed, and senior members of the Ranchi Mahanagar Durga Puja Samity (the highest body coordinating puja activities in Ranchi) were made aware of this by the nationally recognized NGO SwitchON Foundation and its implementing partners, Manthan Yuva Sansthan.

According to Gargi Maitra, a spokesman for the foundation, "these recommendations were meant to empower Durga Puja organizing committees and the general public to embrace environmentally responsible practices during the festival."

Participating in this year's eco-friendly puja celebration were the Panch Mandir Durga Puja Samiti in Harmu Colony, the Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee on Railway Station Road, and other puja committees from Ranchi and Dhanbad.

Celebrations have been shown to frequently cause environmental problems, such as excessive trash production, pollution, and resource depletion. SwitchON developed sustainable ideas for eco-friendly puja festivities in order to increase public awareness of the significance of implementing eco-friendly practices during Durga Puja celebrations, according to Maitra.

"Our goal is to minimize the environmental impact of these celebrations while maintaining our tradition. Vinay Jaju, MD of SwitchON Foundation, said, "We invite all organizing committees and the public to embrace these sustainable guidelines and work together for an eco-friendly Durga Puja."

Posters and pamphlets were used to inform the puja organizing committees to make sure that biodegradable and environmentally friendly silverware is used for the delivery of food (bhog), and that potable water stations with reusable containers are provided. Cultural programmes highlighting the value of environmentally sustainable Durga Puja celebrations would be held.

Aside from this, the pandal area now has banners and posters with sustainable Dos and Don'ts. garbage management has received particular attention from us, and we have asked the puja committees to maintain clearly marked dustbins for dry and wet garbage. In order to recycle the wet waste into compost, training has also been given, Maitra continued.

This year, we're focusing on disposing of garbage properly both during and after the puja (immersion). Compost will be made from the wet wastes, such as leftover prasad, flowers, and other biodegradable offerings, according to Rajeev Kumar, general secretary of the Pancha Mandir Durga Puja Samity in Ranchi.

For a better environment, we support prudent resource management. The president of the Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee and the main supporter of the Ranchi Mahanagar Durga Puja Samity, Munchun Rai, stated, "We will raise public awareness of the value of resource reuse and encourage action at both individual and community levels."