Green Letter Day

Among the rows of candle,diya and decoration stalls that stretch through the Sector 17 Plaza on Diwali,this one’s a stark contrast — a corner with as many as 2,000 saplings. “We are going to distribute these and urge people to enjoy a green Diwali this year,” says Manmohan Kumar Garg,CEO,Gurukul Vidyapeeth. It’s a message the staff and students are also spreading with the help of a street play,banners,pamphlets and one-to-one counselling. On a different platform,Rotaract Club,Chandigarh,is strengthening its anti-cracker campaign. “We have used social networking sites such as Orkut,Twitter and Facebook. The idea is to contribute our bit to save the planet. Diwali crackers cause a lot of air and noise pollution and the lights consume electricity,so we must refrain from wasting these,” says Amritpaul Singh of Rotaract Club.

Even as the city stocks up on Diwali crackers,sweets and gifts,small initiatives to celebrate responsibly is also gaining steam. At MCM College,for instance,it’s rangoli making,dance and a pooja that mark the Diwali celebrations. “We students have decided to forgo crackers this year,” says Riya Sinha,a BA student,who adds that even their gifts are organic this year. “From exotic foods to cosmetics,from clothes to bags,all that we are gifting is organic. Our gift wrap is made from recycled paper,” she says.

Shalini Shah of Carmel Convent School agrees. “It is important to keep carbon footprints in mind. We paint old diyas and make lanterns out of waste material,” she says. For the past four years,she has been collecting used candles and crafting these into new ones. As for paper greeting cards,“they have been long replaced by SMSes and emails,” states businessman Deepak Mahajan,who has sent 1,000 messages to friends and acquaintances. Sandeep Sahi,a software engineer,has invited his friends online to celebrate his son’s first Diwali. “There are options galore when it comes to bursting virtual fire crackers. It saves money and is eco-friendly,” he explains. Housewife Trishna Keshap,on the other hand,has banned plastic during Diwali. “No plastic decorations or Chinese lights for me,” she says.