Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most celebrated and cherished festivals in India. The festival of lights holds a special place in the hearts of millions and it is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and gusto. However, while the festivities of Diwali bring us a lot to celebrate, what it also brings with it are more concentrated levels of pollutants and particulate matter, such as those found in smoke when fireworks are used. Even though pollution control measures are in place in affected areas, smoke from firecrackers during Diwali festivities could aggravate respiratory health issues among a host of other health problems.
So keeping in mind the health of everyone and also the condition of the environment it is safer to choose ways to celebrate the festival which will not harm the planet in any way. Here are a few easy ways to have a fun-filled Diwali without any kind of pollution.
The concept of green crackers has been popular for the past few years. Green crackers are environment-friendly, which unlike regular crackers do not cause the emission of harmful pollutant fumes in the atmosphere. So using green crackers would be a great step of caution towards the people around and also for the environment.
While choosing the lights to decorate your homes this Diwali, choose the ones which are eco-friendly rather than the plastic ones. Buying eco-friendly clay lamps and candles will also help small-scale producers and sellers.
The Diwali decor is incomplete without making a vibrant rangoli. Just make sure you replace chemical colours with natural ones. Powders of spices like cloves, cinnamon, and turmeric can be used to make decorative rangoli designs at home. You can also use dried flowers and petals to make beautiful rangoli designs.
Diwali as a festival is all about gifting your near and dear ones. Gifting involves aesthetic packing. Make sure the packing material you use to wrap the boxes is not plastic. You can use recyclable material or handmade paper wrapping instead.
You can also gift your friends and families plants instead or along the regular stuff and ditch those plastic wrapping papers and bags. And if you have invited guests at home, use biodegradable crockery instead of plastic spoons and plates.
Paint with eco-friendly coloursPeople often paint their homes on the occasion of Diwali. There are long cleaning and painting sprees experimented during the festive season. For painting the walls of the houses, use environment-friendly colours which do not cause any harm to nature. You can even use the paints for painting DIY clay lamps at home.
