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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
On final Bada Mangal, LMC vows to cut plastic waste
Ahead of the final Bada Mangal this Tuesday, Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has launched an enforcement drive and issued strict directives to 'bhandara' or community feast organisers to avoid the use of plastic cutlery altogether. The official action follows an HT report on June 3 that reported the rampant use of single-use plastic items, despite a nationwide ban on them, at bhandara events held that day. Taking cognisance of the issue, municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar directed all eight zonal in-charges in the city to ensure compliance with the ban and take up awareness drives for the organisers. 'Plastic is choking our drains and damaging the environment. Officials have been directed to enforce the ban strictly at all bhandara events. Violators will be fined on the spot,' the civic chief said on Monday. Senior officials said over 300 bhandara events were expected to take place on Tuesday. As many as 189 organisers had already registered their events with LMC by 3:40 pm. 'With so many events taking place, we want to ensure that the final bhandara day of this year sets an example in eco-friendly practices,' an LMC official said, adding each bhandara site would be inspected and a report would be submitted to the civic chief by the evening. HT's earlier report had stated that the two private waste collection and management agencies had collected over 120 metric tons of surplus waste from 293 registered bhandara events held on June 3. 'We only had the confirmed data for June 3, but it's clear that this trend existed throughout the month,' a waste agency representative said. 'The use of plastic and improper disposal have placed enormous pressure on civic infrastructure and the environment.' In addition to the enforcement, LMC has launched a city-wide awareness campaign. 'We are appealing to both organisers and devotees to act responsibly. These events are acts of devotion; they must not harm the environment,' a senior LMC official said. Volunteers push for eco-friendly alternatives Several youngsters who have volunteered to keep the bhandara programmes clean said their efforts were bearing fruit as LMC had ordered strict action to discourage the use of single-use plastic. City-based NGO Mangalman Abhiyan offers internships to youngsters and encourages them to help bhandara organisers keep their premises clean. 'This is great news for our volunteers, who put their heart and soul into urging organisers to adopt eco-friendly measures,' said Ram Kumar Tiwari, the convener of Mangalman Abhiyan. Shubham Kumar Verma, a 22-year-old who pursues MSc in mathematics at Lucknow University, is one of such interns. 'On the last day, we will ensure no use of plastic at bhandara events.' Likewise, 22-year-old Rahul Saroj, an MSc physics student at IIT, Patna said, 'Our groups will go to the stalls and guide them regarding the alternatives to plastic.'
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Social service, waste mgmt: Bada Mangal bhandaras are learning opportunities for youth
LUCKNOW Rahul Saroj, 22, an MSc (physics) student of IIT-Patna, is in his home town Lucknow during his semester break and utilising time for an internship opportunity, honing skills in crowd and waste management, serving food and helping with Bada Mangal festivities. He is among other college/university students, who could have opted for corporate internship, but instead chose social service to upgrade themselves. Youngsters are joining various NGOs, where they get hands-on training in social service and get a certificate in return. On Bada Mangal, interns make an effort to involve volunteers more actively and spread the message of cleanliness and environmental friendliness to the public through the bhandaras. 'This is the best way to utilise my break and learn skills, which I wouldn't learn in the corporate world. I participated in two bhandaras this year and helped serve food during peak hours and remove garbage. I wanted to learn how people come together and manage large-scale events. This is something books or office can't teach,' said Saroj. Shubham Kumar Verma, 22, a Lucknow University (Maths) student, who has seen multiple community events in his family but never participated in them, said: 'In last two bhandaras, I have been to over 10 stalls with a group of 5-6 people where we served food and managed crowd. To learn these, I joined an internship where I understand the values of contact, dialogue, and service.' Saurabh Verma, 19, a BA (English) student of Bappa Sri Narain Vocational PG College, said: 'Our group visits bhandaras across locations and sees if waste is being managed properly. We ensure that the crowd is well managed and the place is neat and clean after the bhandara is over.' Swikriti Agrawal, 20, a final year student, chose the hybrid mode of Internship. 'Despite having a leg fracture, I was able to contribute from home by coordinating with volunteers.' A city-based NGO 'Mangalman Abhiyan' is running an internship programme 'Mangalman Internship Programme' for the past few years engaging college and university students. 'Last year, over a 100 interns, aged between 18 and 28, participated from various colleges and universities across Lucknow. They received internship certificates upon completion,' said Ram Kumar Tiwari, convener of Mangalman Abhiyan. 'Big bhandaras are associated with us and they reach out to us for extra volunteers and coordination with LMC in waste management post the event. The interns oversee logistics, from planning to execution,' he added.
