The State Pollution Control Board’s Rourkela regional office has directed civic bodies and industrial townships across parts of Odisha to enforce eco-friendly Durga Puja guidelines, including clay idols, restrictions on paints and plastics, limits on pandal and idol sizes, and controls on high-decibel sound systems.
Regional officer Anup Kumar Mallick issued the letter on October 14 to the commissioner of the Rourkela Municipal Corporation, executive officers of municipalities in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts, and senior officials of Rourkela Steel Plant and a cement company in Rajgangpur. The directive asks the authorities to implement the central and state guidelines on idol immersion and ensure that celebrations remain free of avoidable plastic and pollution.
The instructions require idols to be made using natural clay, natural colours and biodegradable materials. Organisers have been told not to use plaster of Paris, plastic, thermocol or other polystyrene products, toxic and non-biodegradable chemical dyes, oil paints or synthetic dye-based paints.
The restrictions also include physical limits for temporary festival structures. Pandal heights have been capped at 40 feet, while idols cannot exceed 20 feet. The board has asked the civic authorities and industrial townships to ensure compliance within their respective jurisdictions.
Single-use plastic items have been prohibited at places of worship under the directive. The move places responsibility on municipal authorities, industrial township administrations and festival organisers to prevent plastic waste from accumulating around puja venues and along procession routes.
The letter also addresses noise generated during celebrations and processions. It prohibits the use of loudspeakers, disc jockey systems and high-decibel, multi-channel sound systems that breach noise-control requirements. The direction is intended to regulate the sound environment around worship sites and public processions during the festival period.
The authorities named in the letter include the Rourkela Municipal Corporation and the municipalities of Sundargarh, Rajgangpur, Birmitrapur and Deogarh. The inclusion of Rourkela Steel Plant and the Rajgangpur-based cement company extends the compliance request beyond elected urban local bodies to major industrial townships and company-administered areas.
The directive highlights the administrative challenge of managing large public festivals across areas governed by different institutions. Municipal bodies, industrial establishments and event organisers will need to apply the same material, size, plastic and noise restrictions across venues and procession routes. The State Pollution Control Board has asked these authorities to take proactive action in implementing the guidelines.
