Celebrate Green Diwali With #NoCrackers Challenge

Bhubaneswar: The premise of Diwali is ‘triumph of light over darkness and good over evil’. Over the years, its sanctity seems to have been blown away in dust, smoke and the noise of crackers.

The ‘Green Diwali’ initiative by Unmukt Foundation is a way to celebrate the festival with minimal consequences for the environment.

The key features of this initiative are, encouraging people to take up the #NoCrackers challenge, planting and gifting trees, Rangoli making, cricket match for children and awareness through social media, informed Shweta Agarwal, founder of Unmukt Foundation.

Skating and Nukkad Nataks are being organised at prominent places in the city like,  Esplanade Mall, near KIIT University, Forum Mart and Krishna Plaza, to raise awareness about the danger of crackers and the ensuing pollution.

A Nukkad Natak took place near Esplanade Mall on Tuesday. Pratyush and twelve other members forming the Unmukt Theatre Group are enacted the awareness play called ‘Deepawali’, whereas Nirmal and six-year old Seeya (national skating player) from the acclaimed group Utkal Unicorns did skating, she said.

The campaign will culminate with a Green Diwali Celebration at 6 pm, on Sunday at Krishna Plaza, Bhubaneswar. “It will be a bring-your-own-food party where you dance, sing, laugh, make Rangolis and light diyas,” said Shweta.

“Diwali being the festival of lights, witnesses millions attending and participating in firework displays. Unfortunately, the fumes produced from these crackers are harmful to the environment and us. For instance, the amount of smoke released by a snake tablet (a popular cracker among children) is equal to the amount of smoke released from 464 cigarettes,” she added.

As the concern over air pollution continues, Supreme Court has ordered for a strict regulation on the sale and use of firecrackers.

Going for earthen lamps and organic Rangoli are eco-friendly yet satisfying ways of celebrating the festival, said Shweta.

Diwali can be celebrated in a number of other meaningful ways like plant a tree and gift a tree, organise pot luck party, clean home, clean parks to make them pollution free, ask friends and relatives to take up #NoCrackers challenge, and pledge not to burn crackers this Diwali and prepare Rangoli with natural colors at home, Shweta suggested.