Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore has once again raised the bar for sustainability by hosting the Bohra community’s Ashara Mubarak programme as a ‘Net Zero Event’, marking a remarkable milestone in environment-friendly religious gatherings.
The event, held from June 27 to July 5, combined spiritual significance with cutting-edge practices in carbon neutrality, waste management and water conservation.
In collaboration with NGOs, the event followed stringent Zero Waste and Net Zero Carbon Emission protocols across 21 venues. Each day, an average of 13 tonnes of dry waste, 11 tonnes of wet waste, and 41 kg of sanitary waste was managed responsibly.
Dry waste was segregated on-site and sent to Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), while wet waste was processed organically at the venue using mobile composting units. Surplus was diverted to biomethanation plants for conversion into energy or compost.
Water conservation efforts were equally commendable. Rooftop rainwater was directed to recharge pits built at every site, helping replenish groundwater. RO wastewater was reused for utensil cleaning, and greywater was treated through Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) before safe discharge.
To reduce food waste, excess meals were distributed to the underprivileged through the ‘Dana Community’ initiative and partner NGOs. All venues also had RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) counters to collect reusable household and social items for redistribution.
To offset the 12,473 tonnes of CO? equivalent emissions generated during the event, the plantation of 41,000 trees is planned across municipal land, jointly by the Bohra community and Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC). This effort forms a key part of the city’s larger carbon offset strategy.
