With the Supreme Court declaring only two types of firecrackers legal and its insistence on ‘green crackers’ to curb air pollution, The CSR Journal decided to dive into ways you can reduce the impact on the environment – and your health – by keeping things eco-friendly this festive season. Here are three foolproof ways to go green.
1. Burst green firecrackers
If your ears can’t stop ringing when the rockets, bombs and other noisy crackers go off every evening, there’s good news for you. All the above are banned this year except the anar and phuljari, which happen to be silent. Green crackers emit 30 per cent less air pollution – a matter that has increasingly become a concern for Delhi and its neighbouring areas.
The crackers were developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research after the top court—following spiralling pollution levels every Diwali—ordered that nothing but crackers with low emission levels would be allowed. The order came in response to a group of petitions demanding a countrywide ban on firecrackers.
Green crackers are less harmful as compared to the conventional firecrackers and do not contain any harmful chemicals. No harmful chemical means less pollution, and this would result in a clean environment. Using green cracker means a reduction in particulate matters and harmful gases by 30- 35%.
2. Light oil diyas rather than electric
It’s a no-contest that lighting up the whole house is an essential element of the festival of lights. With plastic and electric lights taking over the city markets, the popular choice these days is to use lights/ bulbs and electric diyas before and after Diwali which wastes electricity and increases the carbon footprint of every family. Switch to the golden glow of the traditional earthen diyas that are bio-degradable and cost-effective. They add the old world charm your house is missing.
3. Get an air purifier
Outdoor pollution during Diwali also has an impact on the air inside your house. The deteriorating indoor air quality exposes your family to a number of health problems such as asthma, COPD and respiratory conditions. This is the reason why using an air purifier at home is necessary to improve the indoor air quality. Opt for an air purifier that uses 4 Stage Purification process (HEPA technology) as it is the most advanced and effective technology to remove all the possible contaminants from the air.
