Green Move: Joint effort of Actors, students, housing socities, NGOs made the drive a success
DNA’s initiative Eco Ganesha 2018 will culminate on Friday with the felicitation of the winners under the four categories of the competition. Recognising the increase in pollution and unsustainable practices in the way the city celebrates its favourite festival, DNA had launched this annual campaign in 2009, aiming to raise awareness and encourage housing societies and individuals to take up eco-friendly practices during Ganeshotsav celebrations.
The number of societies and individuals participating in the competition has grown every year and this year the response from the younger generation was particularly very positive, as they contributed to celebrating the festival without plastic.
Both housing societies and individual households, who made their Ganesh idols and decorations using eco-friendly material, had sent pictures of their celebrations to participate in the competition. To connect with the masses, a photo campaign ‘Selfie with Ganesha’ was introduced, in which people sent pictures of themselves celebrating the festival with their families.
‘Big Eco Ideas’ was another part of the campaign in which unique eco-friendly ideas brought to life by various mandals and individuals were featured in DNA, in addition to standing a chance to win the award in this category. Apart from awards, workshops were also organised by DNA in various societies in the city, which saw the participation of over 3,500 individuals, including schoolchildren. Well-known personalities such as Digangana Suryavanshi, Anil Charanjeett, and Deepika Singh helped make the campaign even more popular by participating in the workshops and visiting the eco-friendly mandals.
Eco Ganesha 2018 didn’t with on Anant Chaturdashi. After the festival ended with the immersion of the idols, DNA, along with a couple of NGOs and a group of students and local residents who volunteered, cleaned the Juhu beach of littered nirmalya (flower remains), paper cups, etc.
“With the kind of response DNA’s appeal has received, I am sure media will prove to be an important and integral part of conservation efforts,” said Larson Fernandes, who runs Juhu Angels, an NGO that has been taking part in post-Ganapati beach clean up drives for the past nine years.
Actor Amit Sadh had also joined the hundreds of volunteers in the clean up drive early in the morning and encouraged the school children to forward and take part in such activities.
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