Chandigarh, November 3: Today as part of an ongoing ‘Green Diwali’ awareness progamme, being organized in city Schools by Yuvsatta-an NGO & Department of Environment, Chandigarh Administration, Dr. AC Vaid, former Vice Chancellor, Apeejay Satya University addressed a gathering of 2000 students at Government Model Sr. Sec. School, Sector 46D, Chandigarh.
Dr. AC Vaid in his address said that on Diwali, many people clean their homes, shops and factories, repaint them, refurbish them, but forget the cleanliness of city and public places. And immediately next day after Diwali, our streets and surrounding are found strewn with tones of all kinds excess waste generated from a million crackers going up in smoke. He further motivated students present there to celebrate a safe and green Diwali in which elders can think of gifting plants instead of other gifts and youngsters can use less number of small firecrackers in a safe way.
Sudesh Raghav, Principal of the School advised students on the occasion to take all precautions while celebrating Diwali like wearing of cotton cloth’s, keeping a bucket of water nearby if they’re bursting small number of fire-crackers under supervision of elders and that too in an open space not near any vehicle. Otherwise she cautioned that having a cracker free Diwali with Diya’s. family, friends and homemade sweets is the best way to celebrate this festival of lights.
On the occasion a ‘Green Quiz’ on safe and green Diwali was conducted by Baljinder Kaur, Eco Club Incharge of the School and later the winners were honoured by Dr. AC Vaid & Pramod Sharma, Coordinator, Yuvsatta with autobiographies of Mahatma Gandhi. Later all the students of the School also took a pledge to become “Green Warriors’ and spread the message of ‘Celebrating Green Diwali’ among their family members and friends. A cultural dance was also presented by the students of the school on the occasion.