Diwali is the one festival in India which is celebrated by all irrespective of caste, creed and religion spreading a lot of happiness and joy amongst our loved ones. Diwali is celebrated to acknowledge victory of good over evil & lighting of diyas on a moonless night signifies a new beginning of enlightenment & the end of darkness of ignorance.

What does happiness means to you? Spending time with friends and family. Eating and sharing sweets, Diwali delicacies. Decorate your homes with diyas, rangoli and electrical lighting. Enjoying Firecrackers busts in dark sky and show its beautiful color

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. A recent NDTV study shows, The production pace of cracks increases in month of Sept-Oct in Sivakasi to meet huge demand in Diwali. To cope with the target, thousands of children are employed on hourly basis. They are denied for FOOD, FREEDOM and EDUCATION. School …. Is a dream for them. They are equally affected as children of Hiroshima & Nagasaki.

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. AIR POLLUTION A record 30 million people were affected by ASTHMA in India post Diwali last year. 19 deaths were reported around the country with 6 in Hyderabad alone. Breathing trouble leads to heart congestion and causes death in severe cases. Is it enough?? Dangers exist because firecrackers contain some very toxic metals that are dangerous to humans and to the environment. Metals like manganese, as well as cadmium, lead, zinc, sodium, magnesium and potassium can only exist within humans and excess of these also contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. Water Pollution The run off from the fireworks which when mixes with the ground water form harmful toxic liquids which when consumed by Humans or animals causes nausea and leads to collapse of vital organs including Kidney and Liver…

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. Noise Pollution Brighter the sparkles, louder the noise, the greater the thrill !! If humans themselves cant bear the noise pollution caused by firecrackers, then think about animals who hear SEVEN times more than us…HOW LOUD WOULD FIRECRACKERS BE TO THEM?? Repeatedly as we burst crackers the birds, dogs and cats in the area run away for shelter and when they do not find shelter they get traumatized and some of them DIE due to pressure.……..DO WE WANT TO KILL THESE LOVELY CREATURES BY BURSTING FIRECRACKERS?

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. Firecrackers also cause serious injuries if not handled properly, especially by children…

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets see….. What about the paper waste during and after Diwali ?

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets DO….. With so much negativity added to a celebration, do we really need to burst crackers? We dont want to make a festival of lights into a festival of Child Labor, Pollution and INSENSITIVITY.. So…… WHAT DO WE DO??????

Are Firecrackers really enjoyable and bring happiness……? Lets DO….. Instead of selecting traditional chemical cracker this Diwali go for eco-friendly crackers. Eco-friendly crackers are made up of recycled paper and the sound produced by these crackers is under the decibel limit defined by the Pollution Board. These crackers produce paper fluffers and different color lights instead of sound on bursting. Engage children in : Designing Diwali greeting cards Painting and decorating earthen diyas. Making Diwali lanterns. Draw rangoli.

Charity begins at home. Let us not buy crackers and educate our children & friends about the darker side of this illuminating object. But how can MY contribution be sufficient??? Just like Every drop makes an ocean, every contribution DOES makes a difference..!!! If the Government doesnt ban Firecrackers, you can just avoid Firecrackers! Taiwan has banned Firecrackers! Sweden then lead the way in 2001! In 2005 Hong Kong also banned Firecrackers! Malaysia followed in 2003! United States in 2007!!! Australia in 2009! In Canada, anyone below 18 cant burst firecrackers!

If they all can do why can t we ……… ? Just Avoid Crackers and glow lamps! SIMPLE!! Thats what Diwali actually means- Row of Lamps! This is the right time for all thinking people to support the anti-firecracker movement and promote a safe and pollution free Diwali, that is pleasant to the senses. Citizens need to do more individually and collectively to bring about this change. Avoid firecrackers and curb noise, air & water pollution. Make a beginning this year by celebrating Diwali the way it should be, as a festival of lights, rather than a cacophony of sounds, have fun and enjoy each moment with you loved ones. HAPPY DIWALI & PROEPEROUS NEW YEAR !! Jain Engineers Society, Pune Chapter