Kolkata: Tala Prattay Durga Puja organisers are planning to install a decentralised waste-to-fuel unit on the Puja premises to make it a zero-waste festival.
This unit will process all types of waste, including food, plastic, parts, flowers and decorations on site.
The waste will be processed into a solid fuel, which can be a clean and high-calorie substitute for coal and wood. Clean water will be extracted from the food waste moisture for reuse.
The initiative My Waste My Responsibility will demonstrate how festivals can be celebrated without harming the environment.
The plant will be installed after Mahalaya and will remain there till three days after Vijaya Dashami.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation will collaborate with Tala Prattay to watch the outcome of the pilot project.
Massive volumes of solid waste, including food packaging, disposable plates and glasses, plastic bottles, wrappers, flowers and decorations are generated during the festival.
Traditionally, this waste was collected by Municipal bodies and sent to landfills. This puts huge pressure on the environment.
This initiative aims to set a benchmark for responsible tourism and eco-conscious festivities across India.
Depending on the results of this pilot project, KMC might install such waste-to-wealth plants at Dhaps to process waste being generated in the city every day.