SUSTAINABLE FESTIVALS THIS SEASON How Goa Can Celebrate Without Polluting

Goa during the festive season is nothing short of magical. From glittering Christmas lights that adorn churches to vibrant New Year's parties on sweeping beaches, and from centuries-old village celebrations to grand weddings under starlit skies, festivals in Goa bring people together to revel, reconnect and create memories.

- By Gauri Ghadge

Yet beneath the joy and the music lies a growing challenge: how to celebrate without polluting, how to revel without wrecking the environment that makes Goa so breathtaking in the first place.

With a sharp surge in arrivals during the peak festive season, including Christmas, New Year, and a host of cultural events such as the Serendipity Arts Festival, the burden on Goa's fragile ecosystems and limited wastemanagement infrastructure becomes starkly evident. The festival season is a vivid reminder that celebrations can't be untethered from responsibility.

A COUNTLESS MOSAIC OF FESTIVITIES

Christmas and New Year's week turn Goa into a globe-class celebration hub. Churches glow with lights and music, carols fill the air, and communities welcome visitors with warmth and hospitality. Gala dinners, music performances and festive markets spill across towns, offering joyous experiences that encapsulate the season's spirit.

Alongside these religious festivities, the state's cultural calendar extends well beyond the traditional holiday week. While the scale and variety reflect Goa's cultural richness, the environmental impact of mass gatherings demands urgent attention.

THE HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF CELEBRATION

Festivals, parades and beach parties are synonymous with crowd energy and shared experiences, yet they are also associated with a spike in waste generation, resource consumption and pollution.

Large inaugurations and events often rely on single-use décor, disposable cutlery, wrapped merchandise and packaged food items, leading to mountains of plastic, mixed waste and littered public spaces. Local observers have noted that parades and celebration stalls, including those during Carnival, generate significant non-biodegradable waste, which, if not properly handled, ends up in landfills.