Celebrate eco-friendly Diwali with loved ones | Marwadi University

The festival of lights, sends a message of goodness and positivity in the life of every living being. Thus, this Diwali, follow the message and be kind to every living being by celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly way. Explore more on this here.

Diwali is the time of the year when family and friends get together and have a gala time together. This festival reminds of the goodness that resides in the world and brings prosperity to everyone’s life.

But it is essential to celebrate it in a way that Diwali brings prosperity in every living being’s life. Hence, celebrate an Eco-friendly Diwali this year! Know more as further.

Importance of eco-friendly Diwali:

The festival of light brings a vibe of joy and happiness. But as lovely as this festival is, it also causes a serious issue for the environment. Every year, the pollution levels are an all-time high during this festival which causes serious problems for many living beings.

Thus, by celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali, you can eliminate these critical issues:

• Noise pollution: During Diwali, a huge amount of fireworks are used and music is played on an unacceptably loud volume across the streets. This increases the noise levels alarmingly. In fact, the noise levels rise up to 125 dB against the government prescribed levels of 55dB in daytime and during the night. Such high levels impact infants and senior citizens and can lead to anxiety attacks.
• Air pollution: This is no hidden problem. Air pollution increases rampantly during pre and post-Diwali, mainly due to firecrackers. During Diwali, the pollutant concentrations in the air were found to be 6.44 times higher (for SPM or Suspended Particulate Matter). Such pollutants can be dangerous for both, human beings and animals.
• Land pollution: This is another major problem during Diwali. A lot of waste, especially plastic is accumulated during the festivities and before it (while cleaning the house). It is littered on the roads and is often non-biodegradable. This also causes soil pollution.
• Health problems: Due to the dangerous smoke released by the fireworks and the massive amount of plastic waste everywhere, many people fall ill after Diwali. The poisonous gases in the atmosphere can cause fever, skin irritation, asthma, bronchitis, and heart-related diseases.
• Harmful effects on Animals: Animals suffer a lot during Diwali. They often fall prey to the food wrapped in plastics, dangerous fireworks and suffer serious injuries that lead to the deaths of these animals.  They also face a number of respiratory diseases which hampers the normal functioning of their body.

In simple words, celebrate a green Diwali for a greener and healthier world!

Tips to celebrate eco-friendly Diwali:

Here are some easy-to-follow eco-friendly tips to celebrate an eco-friendly and safe Diwali:

• Use earthenware products to decorate homes: Earthenware is the new ‘in thing’ for Diwali. As it is made from the earth i.e., Soil, Earthenware is a great eco-friendly alternative to ditch the plastic packaging this year! It also adds a subtle earthy feel to the décor, a perfect setting for Diwali. Moreover, by replacing the Chinese lights with beautiful Diyas, one will be able to save some money the pockets and the electricity bills as well!
• Opt for eco-friendly crockery: Many guests during the festival often compel people to switch to plastic plates and cups. But not only do they look bad for such an occasion but also are harmful to the environment. Thus, opt for eco-friendly options such as steel, glass, banana leaves, etc.  They will amuse the guests and enhance the overall experience of the Diwali gathering.
• Don’t burn crackers: Burning crackers causes air pollution and noise pollution of a high degree. Thus, don’t burn crackers. Instead, you can opt for ‘Green crackers’ which are eco-friendly crackers. They are made from less harmful chemicals and thus, decrease the degrees of pollution up to a significant extent.
• Say no to chemical rangoli: The regular rangoli available in the market is made from cheap and harmful chemicals. They are made from harsh industrious processes which also cause pollution. Hence, this Diwali, make rangoli from flowers, pulses, rice, etc. We bet, it will look more beautiful and colourful than the ones you have made using rangoli powder.
• Perform an act of goodness for the society: Diwali is celebrated to remind everyone that good triumph over evil, always. Thus, spread the message of such goodness by performing an act of goodness for the society.  This act doesn’t have to be a big one. It can be small as well. But by doing it, one will inspire other individuals to do the same as well. 

Every act of goodness to nature will reap two folds benefits. Thus, be good for nature and celebrate the real spirit of this festival.

Happy Diwali and a prosperous new year!