SMC Commissioner Srishti Singh urges for eco-friendly Durga Puja in Silchar

Way2barak, Sept 10 : “This year’s Durga Puja must set an example of responsible celebrations in Silchar. We must strictly avoid single-use plastics, ensure separate dustbins for solid and liquid waste at every pandal, and streamline parking facilities to prevent traffic chaos,” stated ,Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner, Srishti Singh, while addressing the preparatory meeting held on Wednesday at the SMC office ahead of the city’s most-awaited festival.

In her address, the Commissioner announced a new initiative aimed at encouraging hygiene and civic discipline during the festive week. In association with the Shrishti Waste Management Team, the Corporation will conduct inspections of puja pandals across the city to assess their cleanliness standards. The three best-maintained pandals, judged on hygiene and waste management practices, will be recognised and honoured with “Clean Pandal Awards”. SMC Commissioner Singh said the aim was to reward responsible committees and inspire others to place cleanliness on par with decoration and celebration, calling it a move to make Silchar’s puja an example for the rest of Assam.

The meeting brought together senior officials and representatives from the Police, Forest Department, APDCL, Health Services, Inland Water Transport, PWD, NHIDCL, DDMA, Fire Service and other allied departments. The discussions revolved around immersion arrangements, safety, crowd and traffic management, medical facilities, power supply, road repair, and sanitation. Each department pledged coordinated action to ensure that this year’s puja passes smoothly.

Commissioner Singh gave clear directives that all damaged roads and potholes must be repaired well before the festival, and that faulty high-mast lights should be restored without delay. She also pressed for proper parking zones near pandals, warning that unauthorized roadside parking would no longer be tolerated as it creates serious congestion. Police officials assured that personnel would be deployed at immersion ghats and busy junctions, while magistrate and circle officers would be on duty to maintain law and order. The Forest Department promised to provide sand, gravel and soil for immersion sites as in previous years, and the Inland Water Transport Department confirmed arrangements of boats at ghats.

Udharbond MLA Mihir Kanti Shom also addressed the gathering and drew attention to urgent civic needs during the festive period. He called for uninterrupted water supply across Silchar, repair and installation of new light posts where streetlights remain damaged, and smoother traffic management to ensure that the spirit of Durga Puja is not overshadowed by civic inconveniences. “Durga Puja is not just a celebration of faith and tradition but also a test of civic preparedness. Clean water, proper lighting and safe mobility must be ensured for every citizen,” he said.

The Shrishti Waste Management Team stressed the need for a zero-waste puja, reiterating the ban on single-use plastics and encouraging eco-friendly alternatives like banana leaves and biodegradable plates. They also committed to placing dustbins at every pandal and immersion ghat, circulating volunteers’ lists to puja committees, and applying lime and bleaching powder across ghats and pandals after idol immersion for hygiene. Commissioner Singh cautioned that puja committees failing to follow these directions would face notices from the Corporation.

Meanwhile, to avoid overcrowding, the Corporation announced that immersion will be conducted over two days instead of one, thereby easing pressure on ghats and roads. The Commissioner appealed to puja committees to engage at least 10 labourers for carrying idols during immersion and urged citizens to cooperate fully in maintaining discipline, hygiene and civic order during the celebrations.