The challenge of modern cities like Mumbai and others is how to live comfortably today, without messing with the planet and with our future. A few years ago it all began with campaigns for celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali and now the same has extended to celebrating other festivals in an environment-friendly way. All religions are closely intertwined with nature, and in India many celebrate its beauty through festivals and other rituals. But over time, people have somehow lost the true essence of festivals and their ways of celebrating festivals actually harm the environment rather then benefit it. The campaigns fore fronted on ‘eco-festivals’ now actually have children changing the ways their parents have (for years) been celebrating festivals like Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi by using natural colours for Holi, unbaked clay idols for immersion and ‘no crackers.’While eco-friendly Diwali has been a popular concept in western suburbs for many years now, the concept is slowly catching up in other parts of Mumbai like Matunga/Dadar, Ghatkopar, Thane, Kalva and New Bombay too. A first of its kind campaign titled Paryavaran Sahyogi Diwali Abhiyaan 2006 to promote the concept of eco-friendly Diwali amongst school children was kicked off on October 11. Paryavaran Shala organised this event with the help of a Thane-based NGO and educated students of over 40 schools across Thane, Kalva and neighbouring areas. The event made an impact on children as over 50,000 pamphlets were distributed in schools. The aim of the project was to increase awareness among school kids about the ill effects of crackers on human health and the environment. Thane-based NGO Enviro Vigil, which runs Paryavaran Shala, ensured that this four-day campaign from October 11-14 reached maximum kids in the city. At a meeting organised by the organisation last month, about 84 teachers from 21 city schools showed their interest in this project. Many city schools expressed their desire and granted them permission to hold lectures on eco-friendly Diwali at their premises.

The inauguration of the campaign was conducted on Wednesday morning at New English School, which encompasses the Paryavaran Shala in its campus. Later in the day, awareness programmes were held at schools in Thane & Kalva namely Naupada Middle School, New Girls School, Shiva Samarth Vidyalaya, AK Joshi High School, Dr Bedekar Vidya Mandir, Bhagwati Vidyalaya, MH Vidyalaya, Manisha Vidyalaya and ones in New Bombay namely Delhi Public School, Fr Agnel School, St Mary’s school, and Timber Land School amongst others. This year kids, men and women across the city are seen joining hands to make this endeavour successful. Charulata Dhakar, a teacher from Fr Agnel School says, “I have been following eco-friendly Diwali for the past many years but I am glad that the concept is finally being recognized by so many.

Charulata is so passionate about ‘no noise pollution during Diwali’ that she and all the other teachers at Agnel’s are busy educating the pre primary school kids about the eco-friendly Diwali.

“We have explained the kids the problem associated with loud crackers, noise and smoke. We realised that if kids are educated at an early age they will carry on with the same tradition of eco-friendly Diwali and hopefully one day every body would celebrate a Diwali sans noise or smoke,” added Meeta Patil, a Maths teacher from Manisha Vidyalaya, Kalva.

Speaking to Haftamag, Sharada Sarafdar, the Project Coordinator of Paryavaran Shala, who conducted awareness lectures, stated that the pamphlets highlighting the harmful effects of crackers on health would definitely awaken the students. She added, “The pamphlet also hopes to rekindle the true spirit of Diwali, which is to eat sweets and exchange greetings. Everyone knows that crackers only add to noise and air pollution on the city streets every Diwali.”
Not just the little ones but many other residents of the city too seem to have taken the concept very seriously. Sudha Shekharan, a resident from Thane said, “Instead of crackers I lit more candles and diyas this year. I have also shared the idea with my friends and have encouraged them to do the same. So in a way not just me but they too will be having an eco-friendly Diwali.” Some of the parents revealed that though they do not believe in the eco-friendly Diwali concept they are forced to have a pollution free Diwali due to their kids.

Enviro Vigil has been active in eco-friendly projects across Thane schools since a long time. However Secretary Dr V Valavalkar feels that this project across 40 schools within five days is a first for the city.

But in a society like ours where every person thinks and acts his/her own way and every such good step is faced with opposition, some are not treating this concept any different. Though ‘eco-friendly Diwali’ is fast fanning, some still believe in following the traditions. Not just burning crackers during Diwali, these residents also believe in celebrating each festival in a grand fashion. They comprehend these contemporary and ‘good for the society’ theories to be a means to mar the traditional beliefs and religious practices.

“I do not feel that there is anything wrong in bursting crackers. It is our tradition and we burst crackers to thank God for all that he has given us. It is of mythological significance. Diwali comes just once in a year and without crackers Diwali is incomplete,” say a few residents and echoing them some others, “I disagree with the eco-friendly Diwali concept. There is noise and pollution in our daily life, so blaming Diwali celebrations for all the environmental pollution is not fair. If people stop bursting crackers during Diwali, then the entire spirit of the festival will be dead and there will be no difference between Diwali and any other day.”

And as is done in all free societies, it is for you to decide what you want to do. Here’s wishing one and all a very Happy and safe Diwali.

Contact:
M/s. Enviro Vigil, Chhatrapati Shivaji Mah. Hospital Compound, Kalwa, Thane
Ph No 25400012

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