Green weddings, clean weddings

32-year-old Adit Sharma is ready to celebrate his upcoming wedding at an Arya Samaj mandir, but with one worry looming over his head: the consequent pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has already been severe in Delhi, and wedding fireworks may add to it.

“So we (me and my fiancé) have decided to avoid bursting crackers at my wedding. In fact, we are making sure that we are not wasting any food as well. We really do not want to contribute anything bad to our environment. Our atmosphere is already dealing with lots of damage,” says Adit.

After the Supreme Court’s disapproval of wastage of food and water at Delhi’s lavish weddings, the Delhi Government drafted a policy in July 2019 to ensure the curtailment of social events in the capital.

The Government had also formed a four-member committee to draft the policy. It comprises of a Principal Secretary, Health; a Chief Executive Officer, Delhi Jal Board; a Principal Secretary, Urban development; and Member Secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee .

Like Adit, Naman Sharma, who is currently on his honeymoon, had an eco-friendly wedding. “We wanted to have a peaceful wedding, in a noiseless environment, so we had our phera rituals in the afternoon, and small get-together with our friends and family in the evening.”    

Anu Shriwastav, a wedding organiser, observes the sentiment of environmental-consciousness across the capital. “This year I have organized a few weddings where people are not bursting the crackers because of the environment and pollution issues. I believe this is the best thing I have experiences  this year as a wedding planner.” She also points out that people are not wasting food and are calling a limited amount of guests at their wedding.”

Prakash Tholia, who is a wedding organiser agrees. “Our Government policies and agencies have tightened a bit and due to that everyone in Delhi is avoiding bursting crackers. Delhiites are also choosing their wedding destination outside Delhi, like Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Alwar.”

“Delhiites are typically loud people and naturally, they want big, fat weddings. However, there is couple of things that we make sure to do as an organiser, including contacting NGOs so that no food is being wasted. But as far as music and DJ are concerned, people generally don’t compromise on these sources of entertainment. It is good to see that agencies are doing so much to control pollution and food wastage,” Prakash adds.

The consequences of air quality have given Dilliwalas a good lesson. All of us have observed a change in the mindset of the people. Slowly, albeit, but it is happening. The citizens have taken stock of the environmental conditions and are doing their bit for it.