THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Games Village, coming up at Menamkulam near here to accommodate the athletes and officials attending the 35th National Games, will be devoid of bottled water and other plastic products after the Green Protocol Committee of the Games recommended a ban of plastic and disposable materials at the venue in a bid to reduce the waste.
In place of plastic bottles, water will be served to athletes and officials in steel utensils while other utensils available at the Games will also be reusable, the National Games Organising Committee said. The onus of ensuring a ‘Clean and Green Games’ will fall on the state Suchitwa Mission who are the Games’ green partner.
“Efforts will also be made to expand the project to other Games venues in association with sponsors,” said K Vasuki, Suchitwa Mission executive director and Games Green Protocol Committee executive coordinator.
Food will be served at the Games village in steel and ceramic plates while water will be made available through RO dispensers. All athletes will be provided a free steel flask to collect the water.The flask will be made attractive and would act as a souvenir of the Games, the officials said.
Vasuki said that the recommendations of the Green Protocol Committee are being implemented across the seven host districts and instructions have been issued to serve food for athletes and spectators on steel plates in these districts too.
The committee had estimated 8 tonnes of plastic and paper wastes to be generated during the 14-day Games. Another 100 tonnes would have been generated by the spectators attending the Games. But with the implementation of the project, this amount can be brought down by a large number, Vasuki said.
The committee also appealed to the spectators of the Games to avoid bottled water during the Games and said that alternative arrangements would be made available in the venues.