CHENNAI: For The Bengal Association in T Nagar, the run-up to this year's Durga Puja has been exceptionally busy. And pricier. After years of contemplating how to make the puja plastic-free, the association decided to make its dining area - usually the highest generator of plastic waste according to its secretary Soumya Guha Thakurta - completely eco-friendly this year."This has increased our cost by almost a 100% from the previous years, but we have decided to stick with these changes, because they resonate with our principles of valuing nature as we celebrate the goddess," says Guha Thakurta.According to environmentalist Arun Krishnamurthy, the amount of non-biodegradable waste generated from urban celebrations of Navratri has been rising by about nine percent year after year. And the Bengali community in the city is doing its bit to address this issue by customizing everything from the cutlery to the decor to be eco-friendly this year. "One of the biggest steps towards this has been to switch from plastic and thermocol cutlery for the bhog (lunch), and polythene covers for food parcels, to palm leaf and sugarcane fiber plates, and cloth bags that can hold up to three parcels," says Guha Thakurta. "Next year, we want to tie up with various CSR initiatives for a greener Durga Puja," he says.One of the main sources of celebratory waste during the season comes in the form of decorations such as plastic streamers, balloons and sparkling paper, says Arun.To this extent, at the South Madras Cultural Association (SMCA) in Besant Nagar, the area around the pandal where the deity stands has been created mostly using cane, wood, fabric and paper this year, eliminating the use of plastic and thermocol in the decor as much as possible. "Even the deity is adorned with 'shola pith', (a milky-white sponge-wood that is similar in texture to thermocol, but a natural alternative). It has been a conscious choice and we are planning to make the deity entirely with organic products in the coming years," says the association's assistant secretary, Subhajit Patra.

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