For the third year in a row, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will go the eco-friendly way, with the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) banning the use of plastic glasses, cups, bottles and carry bags at the festival venues across Panjim City. With IFFI 2015 around the corner, CCP employees will be working overnight to keep the city clean during the 10-day long annual mega event, beginning from November 20.
With nearly 50,000 people expected to enter the capital city daily during the festival period, CCP, which is already saddled with an overload of garbage will have to ensure proper collection and segregation of the waste generated at the venues. On an average, the areas under the CCP jurisdiction generate 20-25 tons of garbage daily. During IFFI, the garbage generation is expected to see a rise of an additional 5 tons per day.
Speaking to Herald, Municipal Engineer- Grade III, Subha Amonkar said that the CCP has already initiated steps to keep the festival venues clean during the film festival. “Nearly 45-50 workers will be deployed at the venues daily (rotation basis) for proper collection and segregation of waste generated. The workers will be working from morning till midnight, when the last round of garbage collection will be carried out,” he explained.
“Our aim is to reduce plastic use by over 50 percent at the festival venue. If it can be done, it will work wonders. For the last two IFFI events, we had banned the use of plastic and it was very well accepted by the stall operators and the public,” Amonkar added.
A total of 25 sets – each set containing five bins (four black and one green)-paper, plastic, glass and metal and for non-recyclable material (black bins) and for wet waste collection (green)- would be placed at different festival venues in the city.
Even though the CCP is all geared up to handle the garbage generated at festival venues, it is left with just one major site at Patto to treat the wet waste. The other smaller units where the biodegradable waste is handled are Panjim Market and under the Mandovi Bridge at Divja Circle.
As the treatment facility at Patto is underperforming, it can treat only 7 tons of waste, while the 10 tons are treated at Panjim market and Divja circle plant respectively. This still leaves 10 to 15 tons of waste for treatment.
“We have absolutely no problem as far as collection and disposal of garbage during IFFI is concerned. We will handle it in the best possible way,” Amonkar said.
The IFFI organizers and the stall owners will have to strictly follow the Solid Waste Management Rules.
