Mangaluru: Over 25,000 devotees in Moodbidri used steel tumblers to sip buttermilk, kashaya, and panaka using 400 tumblers during Ganeshotsava celebrations. The shobhayatra, or grand procession, was held on Sunday, and the Moodbidri Town Municipality (TMC), known for its eco-friendly drives, has been promoting zero-waste practices for more than three years, especially during public functions including kambala, with a series of preparatory meetings held before each event to spread awareness.Sandhya A, swachhata ambassador for Moodbidri TMC and founder of the Kalpavruksha Cutlery Bank, said that the impact of their initiatives seems to be improving with each passing year. “This year, we were able to drastically reduce the use of single-use plastic and paper cups for serving beverages,” she noted.Interestingly, the Netaji Brigade, which served buttermilk and kashaya to over 8,000 devotees, managed to do so using only 300 tumblers. Meanwhile, the Panaka Seva Samiti catered to 20,000 people with just 100 tumblers, serving panaka, a traditional drink often served during festivals, from 11.30 am until late evening. “At several other locations, efforts were also made to use steel plates and tumblers. The main Ganeshotsava celebration in Moodbidri lasts five days, and each day thousands of people have lunch and snacks on steel plates. The organisers have independently taken steps to reduce waste generation,” said Sandhya.Meanwhile, under the guidance of Moodbidri TMC vice-president Nagaraj Poojary, the 36th Ontikatte Ganeshotsava also embraced the zero-waste concept by purchasing 800 steel plates and using 300 steel tumblers from the Kalpavruksha Cutlery Bank. Over three days, around 4,250 people received prasada meals, and about 1,100 people had breakfast, all without using single-use plastic or paper plates and cups. The members of the Ontikatte Ganeshotsava and Ayyappa Samiti worked diligently to ensure that the event became a model zero-waste programme for the people of Moodbidri, said Sandhya.She said, “While organisations and associations are making efforts to turn public events into zero-waste ones, individuals need to be more conscious of this concept.”
