Celebrating a Green and Eco-friendly Diwali

Dr Dharmakanta Kumbhakar

(The writer can be reached at drkdharmakanta@yahoo.com)

Diwali or Deepavali, also known as the festival of lights, is a major Hindu festival in India. It takes place on the first Amavasya night of the Hindu month of Kartik (Kati in Assamese, October/November). It is believed that Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya on this Amavasya night after an exile of 14 years. The people of Ayodhya celebrated the joyous occasion by cleaning their houses, distributing sweets and lighting earthen diyas to dispel the darkness of the Amavasya night. Ever since, the Hindu people are celebrating Diwali as a major festival of India with great enthusiasm and fervour.

Unfortunately, in recent times Diwali has lost its original connotation. Earlier people used to celebrate Diwali by simply lighting earthen diyas. In recent times, the celebration of Diwali is mostly about lighting decorative electrical lights and burning loud and harmful firecrackers. The burning of firecrackers causes tremendous noise and environmental pollution.

Firecrackers of different varieties are easily available in the market, and the people of India spend thousands of rupees over the same without realizing that this is affecting the environment as well as the health of individuals. There runs a hidden competition among people for burning firecrackers. The Diwali celebration is slowly but surely becoming a problem for the well-being of the environment all over India.

The strong sound-emitting firecrackers cause noise pollution which leads to hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart attack, sleep disturbance, mental irritation, noise stress and many more. As per the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Central Pollution Control Board, the manufacture, sale or use of firecrackers generating noise level exceeding 125 decibels are prohibited in India. The administration and Pollution Control Boards must be strict in this regard. Strong action must be taken against those failing to comply with the law. The administration must check and inspect the commercial stocks of firecrackers to stop the use of such firecrackers at the source. They must intensify the surveillance over illegal sale, storage and transportation of firecrackers and other similar goods by forming special task force. The shop-keepers must sell only specified firecrackers with proper licence from the administration. The civil society, NGOs and media must help the administration in the implementation of the laws and in creating awareness among the people in this regard.

On the day of Diwali and subsequent days, the air quality deteriorates abysmally and alarmingly. Diwali, the joyous occasion, has now become a source for ailments. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Material (RSPM) level goes up during Diwali making the air unhealthy to breath. The suspended particles in the air, because of burning firecrackers, cause allergic conditions to skin, eye, throat and nose. Diseases like Bronchitis and Asthma get aggravated due to the high level of suspended particles. The gases emitted after burning firecrackers (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc.) and chemicals (carbon, sulphur, magnesium, cadmium, etc.) that are used for manufacturing of firecrackers cause many diseases.

The strong electrical light, carbon dioxide and heat emitted while burning firecrackers is a major cause for global warming; these cause health problems to all living beings and natural imbalances like climate change and natural calamities. The strong sound and bright lights of firecrackers disturb the normal life cycle of human, birds and other animals. Many birds and animals (especially pets and street animals) die during Diwali. The Sulphur Dioxide emanated by the firecrackers also affects plant life and their productivity. Moreover, many accidents like burn, injury to eye and burning of properties can occur during burning of firecrackers. Lighting of decorative electrical lights causes more electricity consumption, a big concern for a poor State like Assam.

Diwali also sees a great amount of non-biodegradable dry waste in the form of papers, plastics and firework covers causing soil pollution. Recent studies have shown that the chemical particles also contaminate the water bodies. They penetrate the soil and even result in the contamination of the ground water making it unfit for consumption.

Diwali represents the victory of good over evil. But we ourselves have become evil by creating air, soil and water pollution, adding to global warming, creating health problems to people, killing birds and animals. We must stop running after immediate enjoyment which causes harm on our Mother Earth as well as our future. It is time to go green, eco-friendly this Diwali. Let us re-establish the essence of Diwali by being sensitive to the environment. Let us avoid lighting of decorative electrical lights and burning high sound-emitting firecrackers this Diwali. Let celebrate this Diwali by simply lighting earthen diyas. Pollution-free, eco-friendly, low sound emitting local firecrackers are also available, though very expensive. This year, let us burn these firecrackers in small quantities just for the spirit of Diwali. This may boost our cottage industry also. Let us minimize the firecrackers by proposing a community celebration in a park or open space. Let us restrict the celebration of Diwali to one day. As per the order of the Supreme Court of July 18, 2005, there is complete ban on burning sound- emitting firecrackers between 10 pm to 6 am in India. This time the Supreme Court has recently delivered a judgment saying, low sound emitting firecrackers can only be burst between 8pm and 10 pm in this Diwali. So, we should burn low sound emitting firecrackers between 8pm to 10 pm only in this Diwali. We must clean the areas of Diwali celebration next day, dispose the waste materials in a segregated manner and assist the local administrators in this regard. People should also use natural organic colours, flowers or cereals for making the Rangolis instead of chemical colours that are available in the market.

Let celebrate this Diwali in a traditional manner with earthen lamps, flowers, sweets and togetherness to protect our own health and the environment. Instead of spending on firecrackers this Diwali, let us spread the joy and celebrations to the underprivileged by donating text books, new clothes and sponsoring a meal.