Fwd: HAPPY DIWALI --- Let Us Celebrate an ECO FRIENDLY DIWALI

[Aravind Raaj]

Dear All

 

 

Diwali celebrations are associated with pollution rather than their traditional significance. Here is how to bring back the true spirit of Diwali.

Diwali is known as the 'festival of lights'. Diyas (clay lamps) are lit to chase away the darkness of ignorance and welcome the bright light of enlightenment. However, in our zest to celebrate this festival, there is a tendency to go overboard. Carelessness during Diwali celebrations can have a detrimental effect on the environment and endanger your own safety. Here are some of the major offenders in these celebrations.

The celebration style has imposed many negative effects on the environment; some of the effects are listed below:

• Excessive air pollution
• Excessive noise pollution
• Soil pollution
• Excessive power consumption
• Consumerism (excess consumption means excess use of raw material)

Crackers

Firecrackers are traditionally perceived as being the highlight of Diwali celebrations. Simple sparklers have now given way to elaborate fireworks that can light up the entire sky above your home. Most people believe that greater the fireworks, better the celebrations. However, very few people stop to think just how harmful these crackers are for the environment.

To begin with, all available crackers contain a large amount of toxic substances. These affect people in different ways as follows;

• Copper: Causes irritation in the respiratory tract, which leads to respiratory ailments.
• Cadmium: Reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of blood, leading to anaemia. It also causes kidney damage.
• Lead: Lead in the body has a harmful effect on the nervous system.
• Magnesium: Magnesium fumes cause a condition known as metal fume fever. This is a fever accompanied by a metallic taste in the mouth.
• Zinc: Also causes metal fume fever. In addition, it also induces vomiting.
• Sodium: Sodium is a highly reactive element. It combines with moisture in the air and on the skin, causing burns.

These toxic substances are not only harmful to human beings, but to all living creatures. They tend to remain in the atmosphere for extended periods. So their harmful effects are experienced long after Diwali celebrations are ended.

Fireworks also produce a lot of smoke, when they are burnt. Apart from being a source of toxic fumes, the smoke also causes great discomfort. People suffering from asthma and other respiratory conditions have no other choice but to stay indoors during Diwali. They are unable to go outside for fear of any of the smoke getting into their lungs and triggering an attack.

Fireworks also bring with them a lot of noise. Diwali favourites like the 'Laxmi bomb' produce a sound of 100 decibels when they are burst. In comparison, any sound beyond 50 decibels is classified as being noise. The noise produced by crackers is extremely hazardous to health. Sudden noise can cause temporary hearing loss. Extended exposure could lead to permanent hearing loss. Crackers burst indiscriminately cause disturbances in sleep. This can be especially upsetting to people who require undisturbed rest like babies and elderly people and the diseased persons. Noise also frightens children and household pets, causing them to experience anxiety.

Most fireworks are made by factories which employ children as labourers. These young children are forced to handle the toxic substances that go into these crackers. As a result, they contract diseases associated with these substances. Due to lack of medical aid, many of these children do not live beyond their teenage years.

Power Consumption

Since Diwali is a festival of lights, people decorate their homes by lighting them up. This places a huge load on the power supply system. Electric lights are used to decorate entire SHOPS, homes, offices, and roads. Sometimes, these lights are even left on even during the day. This is a waste of energy. It is better to switch to the traditional oil lamps. Even though they consume oil, these lamps are usually used only for a short time.

How to Celebrate Eco-Friendly Deepawali?

Listing the various environmental and health hazards caused due to present form of Diwali celebration doesn’t means to stop celebrating the festival. But definitely the way of celebrating this auspicious festival can be changed. Listed below are few environment friendly tips to celebrate Diwali

• Instead of individual celebration prefer community celebration. With the increasing trend of gated community all the families of the community can celebrate Diwali in the common space. This will ensure reduced cost of celebration; paper pollution in a limited space and as compared to individual celebration, community celebration will cause less air and noise pollution.
• Even while celebrating commonly make sure that you limit your celebration for a limited period of time. Your celebration can last for maximum 3 to 4 hours.
• Before selecting the place for common community celebration make sure that it is far away from hospitals.
• Instead of selecting crowded areas it is better to opt a open ground.
• Instead of selecting traditional chemical cracker this Diwali go for eco-friendly crackers. Eco-friendly crackers are made up of recycled paper and the sound produced by these crackers is under the decibel limit defined by the Pollution Board. These crackers produce paper fluffers and different color lights instead of sound on bursting.
• Instead of electric illumination go for traditional lightening of earthen lamps or diyas. This will not only enhance the beauty of your house but will also cut down the enormous electric consumption. Though earthen lamps need oil but the quantity is less and it gives light for at least 3-4 hours.
• Instead of buying “one-time use” items go for recyclable things. Secondly while cleaning your home for Deepawali instead of disposing things it is better to give it to under-privilege people.

SO LET US CELEBRATE THIS DIWALI WHICH IS VERY MUCH GREEN AND ECO FRIENDLY AND SAVE OUR MOTHER EARTH FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME.

Let us have a smoke free and breathe free Diwali.

LET US Celebrate an Environmentally Safe Diwali

Fill the Heart with the oil of love. Place in it the wick of single-pointed mind. Light it with the Knowledge of Truth and remove the darkness of ignorance around you. Just as one lamp can light many lamps; let each youth kindle this Light in many hearts.

May This Diwali be as bright as ever.
May this Diwali bring joy, health and wealth to you.
May the festival of lights brighten up you and your near and dear ones lives.
May this Diwali bring in u the most brightest and choicest happiness and love you have ever Wished for.
May this Diwali bring you the utmost in peace and prosperity.
May lights triumph over darkness.
May peace transcend the earth.
May the spirit of light illuminate the world.
May the light that we celebrate at Diwali show us the way and lead us
together on the path of peace and social harmony.

 

WISH U A VERY HAPPY DIWALI

 

 

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