The festive season is right around the corner – we are mere days away from Diwali, the festival of lights! The festival commemorates the return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita, brother Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman after 14 years of exile. The return was on a new moon day in the month of the Kartik season, so the entire kingdom of Ayodhya was lit up to celebrate their return and welcome them. Their return characterized the victory of good over evil, and that spirit is still kept alive by celebrating the prosperity of light over darkness.
In the spirit of victory of light over darkness, Diwali has become deeply associated with the lighting of lamps and candles throughout the country. In addition, heaps of firecrackers are also lit by crowds of enthusiastic people to celebrate the occasion. Children and adults alike get together to burst arrays of firecrackers, and this is treated as a fun activity that communities get together to participate.
As exciting and thrilling it is to lighting firecrackers, the activity does cause damage to our surroundings. Since it causes heavy emissions of smoke into the environment, its impact on our environment can be quite harmful.
The ban on firecracker sales in certain cities in India is one step to curb the overuse of firecrackers, and this in turn should reduce the damage done to our environment. But expecting the ban to cause a sudden reduction in pollution is unrealistic.
We can choose to contribute to the environment by celebrating in as non-polluting a manner as we can. This Diwali, drive out to a quieter, less polluted city to enjoy a peaceful break from the ill-effects of firecrackers. Bring the spirit of the festival with you, but ensure that you stay away from the pollution that is rampant in areas that indulge in heavy lighting of fireworks.
Celebrating without crackers can be a socially responsible way to celebrate Diwali. Breathing in cleaner air is beneficial for the health and well-being of the entire population. Clean air is important for us to maintain a healthy quality of life and prevent ill-health in our population. This is affected by smog from firecrackers.
Firecrackers leave a lot of uncleaned remnants on the ground, contributing to pollution of the land. Many cities already have a garbage problem, and this is exacerbated by uncollected cracker residue.
The ill-effects of pollution on the environment cause a degradation of our surroundings. Our country is filled with natural beauty, and as citizens we ought to do our part in preserving the environment not only for ourselves, but also for the future residents of our country. We ought to plant more trees so we can breathe cleaner air. Lighting firecrackers is doing the opposite and causing the air we breathe to be filled with smog.
Bursting firecrackers can cause a lot of noise and commotion. This is especially a cause for concern to animals, and people that have sensitive hearing.
On the occasion of Diwali, get away from these ill-effects of crackers by embarking on a trip to a quieter city. Get away for the night, or extend the trip to as long as you need to allow yourself to revel in the pleasure offered by a more serene city.
