26 to 29 March 2025
Gorzam Chorten,
Zemithang
 | If you are visiting the Gorzam Kora Festival, or if you want to set up a shop at the Gorzam Kora Festival, click the links below for guidelines! |
 | यदि आप गोरज़म कोरा उत्सव में आ रहे हैं, या यदि आप गोरज़म कोरा उत्सव में कोई दुकान खोलना चाहते हैं, तो दिशा-निर्देशों के लिए नीचे दिए गए लिंक पर क्लिक करें! |
Office of the EAC, Zemithang
Zemithang Valley Waste Management Committee
VISITOR GUIDELINES
| A Festival Without Waste: From Awareness to Action! Last year, in an effort to make the Gorzam Kora Festival take its initial steps toward a zero-waste celebration, 3500 kg of waste were collected. After the festival, a Community-Led Waste Management System has been evolving, bringing together civil society, administration, armed forces, and active citizens. On 15th Aug last year, 4500 kg of segregated materials were removed from Zemithang’s sacred valley and transported downstream to appropriate processing facilities. This achievement is monumental, highlighting the power of multi-stakeholder alignment – an ode to the intangible spiritual, biodiversity, and cultural heritage of the Monpas! Decades of dumping waste in rivers and burning it have polluted waters, caused animal deaths, degraded soil, and robbed us of pristine natural spaces to enjoy! As the supply of market goods grows and lifestyles shift, scaling up waste management and zero-waste practices has become urgent. And so this year, we move from Awareness to Action: Let’s Reconnect With Our Zero-Waste Culture. With love, Citizens of Zemithang |
Support us, and follow these guidelines…
 | 1. Tsok or Offerings • Bring natural offerings like kapse, fruits, etc. • Avoid bringing packaged items. |
| 2. Bring Your Own Reusables • Bring a cloth bag for shopping. • Carry a reusable water bottle and refill at drinking water stations. • Use your own cup and cutlery – you can wash in the water stations. • Opt for reusable containers for takeaways. | 3. Vendor Interactions • Vendors cannot serve or pack food in: ◦ Plastic-lined cutlery ◦ Thermocol cutlery ◦ Aluminum containers ◦ Polythene bags • Support vendors who use eco-friendly cutlery and packaging. |
| 4. Keep in mind Prohibitions and Fines • Littering or burning waste – ₹2,000 fine • Gambling is strictly prohibited – ₹5,000 fine | 5. Waste Segregation and Disposal • Use labeled bins placed throughout the festival grounds. • Do not mix waste—it disrupts recycling and composting. • Keep seating areas and common spaces clean and litter-free. |
🌱 Visit the Waste Park
Explore the Waste Park and engage with the waste management team to learn more about sustainable practices. Let’s celebrate responsibly and make Gorzam Kora cleaner and greener for everyone! 🌿
Office of the EAC, Zemithang
Zemithang Valley Waste Management Committee
VENDOR GUIDELINES
| Years of waste dumping in rivers and open burning have contaminated water, harmed wildlife, degraded soil, and reduced natural spaces. To counter this, we seek your active participation in our zero-waste initiatives! To achieve a zero-waste Gorzam Kora, all vendors must register, commit to responsible waste management, and actively support the festival’s theme. |
1. WHO NEEDS TO REGISTER?
Anyone involved in entertainment or commercial activities within the Gorzam Kora Festival 2025 grounds must register before setting up.
This includes:
- Existing restaurants in the Gorzam area
- Pop-up restaurants
- Covered stalls
- Open-area stalls
- Moving carts
- Moving vendors
2. PRE-REGISTRATION PROCESS – Get Your Coupon Number
📞Call Tenzin Jangchu, Stall Manager at +91 76288 79175 to receive your coupon number, which will give you priority at the Registration Counter.
3. REGISTRATION PROCESS
📍 Location
The Registration Counter is at Waste Park, next to Gorzam Stupa Gate No. 2. If unsure, ask a volunteer!
⏰Registration Timing
• March 25 | 10 AM – 4 PM
• For alternative registration times, contact on the number above.
📌 What To Expect At Registration:
1. Orientation on the process and rules
2. Cutlery checks to ensure no plastic, thermocol, or plastic-lined cutlery is being used
3. Payment for rental + security deposit
4. Sign the Vendor Agreement and Register
5. Receive your sack/bag for:
a. Dry-waste
b. Sanitary waste
6. Get your Vendor Number Tag with two official stamps confirming:
a. Payment received
b. Cutlery approved
4. VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Vendor Identity
Vendor tags must be displayed in a visible but secure location at all times. This will help us ensure smoother management and support.
B. Rental and Security Deposit Details
Vendors must submit the rental charge and a security deposit as per the Vendor Rate Chart below.
C. Waste Management and Cleanliness Standards
To minimize waste generation as much as possible, all vendors have these responsibilities:
| i. Food, Beverage and Water a. Serve food in reusable or biodegradable cutlery. b. Use only reusable glasses for beverages. c. Drinking water stations will be available—vendors must encourage refills instead of selling bottled water. | ii. Packaging a. Use cloth or paper bags for packaging. |
| iii. Takeaway Food a. Ask the customer to bring a reusable container. b. Use biodegradable containers c. Use hard plastic containers with lids and suggest to the customer to wash and reuse them. | iv. Cleanliness and Hygiene a. All existing and pop-up restaurants must use only reusable cutlery and maintain hygienic dishwashing facilities. b. All vendors must ensure no littering, and regularly sweep and maintain cleanliness in and around their stalls/areas. |
| v. Waste Segregation a. Vendors must place bins/sacks for the categories mentioned below b. All bin/sacks for Customer must be clearly visible, easily accessible and kept clean. c. Place customer bins in a visible, easily monitored spot, like the billing counter. | vi. Waste Deposit and Collection a. Regular waste collection will be managed by the festival’s waste team. b. Mixed waste will not be accepted. Vendors must separate waste immediately. c. Cartons, glass bottles, glass, and sanitary waste will only be collected in the final-day collection. d. Vendors are encouraged to also drop off segregated waste at the Waste Park. |
D. Types of Waste Bin
Customer Side
1. Compostable item bin
(food, plates, etc.)
Shop/Kitchen Side
1. Compostable item bin
(food, plates, hay/straw, etc.)
Last Day Collection
(wrap tightly with newspaper and then put inside the given black bag)
5. FINES & PROHIBITIONS
To ensure a clean and responsible festival environment, the following violations will result in penalties:
• Gambling is strictly prohibited: ₹5,000
• Use of prohibited items: ₹1,000
• Littering or burning waste: ₹2,000
• Operating without vendor registration: ₹2,000
Small plastic water bottles | Plates, bowls, cups, glasses with plastic layer  |
Thermocol plates, bowls, cups, glasses | Plastic spoons, forks, knives |
Polythene bags | Non-woven bags |
Aluminium containers | Mixed waste in bins/sacks |
6. MONITORING
• Each vendor’s compliance will be recorded in the Vendor Monitoring Chart.
• Monitors will check vendor stalls and areas regularly to ensure compliance with waste segregation, reusable cutlery use, stall cleanliness, and hygiene.
• Vendors with repeated violations may lose their security deposit or be asked to shut down their stalls.
7. SECURITY DEPOSIT
• Vendors who comply fully with waste segregation and cleanliness guidelines will receive a 100% refund of their security deposit.
• Repeated violations may result in fines or stall closure as mentioned in the Security Deposit Refund Chart.
Security Deposit Refund Chart:
8. REFUND PROCESS
a. All vendors must clean their premises thoroughly:
i. The area is swept, and waste is handed to the collection team or deposited at the Waste Park.
ii. Vendors will undergo a Vendor Closure Check before closing their stalls.
b. Security Deposit Refund
i. After cleaning their designated area and having it reviewed by the Monitoring Team please come to the Registration Counter to receive your refund.
ii. ⏰Refund Timing:
March 29 | 5 PM – 8 PM
March 30 | 6:30 AM – 12:00 Noon
For alternative registration times, contact the Stall Manager (number above)
9. VENDOR SUPPORT TIPS
• Volunteers will be stationed for any support.
• Eco-Store at Waste Park: You are encouraged to bring your biodegradable cutlery to the festival, but in case you need to purchase at the Eco-Store, we have:
◦ compostable plates, spoons, forks, bowls, small cup
◦ cloth bag, brown paper pouches
◦ black sanitary waste bag
Partners
