Indore Municipal Corporation will run a Zero Waste Navratri Festival from October 11 to 20, requiring festival organisers to focus on clay idols, eco-friendly decorations, waste segregation and water conservation across the city’s pandals.
The programme, announced through an official release, will bring wet waste, dry waste and puja offerings under separate collection arrangements. The same segregation system will apply to prasad distribution and community feasts, with organisers expected to manage waste at source for systematic collection and disposal.
The initiative follows directions from Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava and Municipal Commissioner Kshitij Singhal. Additional Commissioner Prakhar Singh has already met Durga Utsav committees and pandal heads to explain the civic body’s expectations, including clean premises, environmentally responsible decoration and organised waste handling.
The municipal corporation said the programme would be based on the 3R principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Pandal committees will be encouraged to use clay idols, eco-friendly decorative materials and fewer plastic and other non-reusable items. Separate bins will be provided for wet waste, dry waste, flowers, fruits and other puja material.
Water conservation will form a second part of the festival plan. The civic body said rainfall has been low this year and that it is already running a water conservation campaign. In partnership with an NGO, the campaign will be taken to Navdurga pandals during the festival, with citizens being urged to use water carefully and conserve it.
The arrangements will also be documented and assessed. According to the official release, photographs and videos from each pandal will record cleanliness measures, waste segregation, use of eco-friendly material, 3R activities and public participation. The assessment will be conducted using set parameters.
The IMC will select and honour three pandals for their performance in cleanliness, environmental protection, waste management and public participation. The civic body said the recognition was intended to encourage more organising committees to adopt zero-waste practices during public celebrations.
The programme places festival waste management within the routine responsibilities of event organisers rather than treating it only as a post-event collection task. Its implementation will depend on whether segregation is maintained at pandals, during food distribution and at the point of collection throughout the October 11-20 festival period. The IMC’s stated objective is to connect religious and cultural events with cleanliness, environmental protection and public participation.
