Calcutta: if a few hundred citizens allow themselves fireworks spree in Diwali At night, the city is covered in a blanket of toxic smoke, the elderly suffer, COPD patients experience an exacerbation of respiratory distress and stray dogs, cats and birds run in terror, sometimes even dropping dead. However, there are a few thousand citizens who avoid fireworks altogether. They are led by Generation Alphawho wage a determined battle against the demon of noise, pollution and climate change.
“We meet students every year, and their response to our call to refrain from using fireworks gives me the conviction that it is not over. This year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave a clarion call to refrain from causing air pollution and distress to others. “We hope to have a much calmer Diwali this year,” said WPCB president Kalyan Rudra.
A DPS Newtown fifth grade student, Rishan Islam Mondal, said: “An anti-cracker march was held at school, which inspired me to visit the neighborhood with my friends, asking our elders to refrain from bursting cookies and to be aware of our surroundings. I also asked them to keep heart patients and older family members safe and protect their pets from exposure to noise and smoke.
Another student from the same school, Spriha Basu, said: “I am celebrating a green Diwali this year, choosing not to light fireworks at all, and I have inspired all my friends and neighbors to refrain from bursting crackers. We are smoking.” “Free Diwali where every living creature can enjoy the festive spirit.”
“For years, we have been running a campaign to add colors and lights with LEDs. As cycling activists, we decorate the wheels of our bicycles with them. When the wheels move, they create a spectacular sight. Fireworks can create a joy momentary with light and noise, but our silent procession of LED wheels creates magic, and people look forward to seeing us cycling around the city,” said Raghu Jana of Cycle Samaj.
Sarthak Singh, a student of class time. This time we will celebrate Diwali by lighting candles and refraining from buying firecrackers.
A class IX student of the same school, Aadi Karmakar, said, “We have bought candles and strings of lights to decorate our house. I did not ask my parents to buy firecrackers because my school teachers guided us not to burst the harmful cookies that contaminate our lives. atmosphere.”
Debosmita Das, a student of Jadavpur Vidyapith class IX, said, “I have not lit fireworks for the last seven years because I have asthma. And I can feel compassion for those who have the same health problem as well as for the animals who are the worst. victims of a noisy and smoky Diwali.
The explosion of fireworks releases pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particles, which are severely degraded. air quality and contribute to air pollution. This not only poses serious health risks (causing respiratory problems and allergies), but also has a negative impact on wildlife and ecosystems. “It is time to take responsibility for our actions, stop polluting the planet and protect the living beings and ecosystems with which we share it. We urge everyone to celebrate a smoke-free Diwali,” said environmental activist Somini Sen Dua, founder and director of the Mrrittika Earthy Talks Foundation. Sen Dua, who also heads WICCI’s Climate Action Chapter in Bengal, created a series of videos on social media highlighting the harmful effects of fireworks on climate and biodiversity.