Chandigarh, October 14: Go green this Diwali seems to be the slogan of the environmentally conscious. And today Yuvsatta-an NGO in association with Department of Environment, Chandigarh Administration launched a ‘Go Green Diwali Campaign’ in local Schools, starting today from Government Model Sr. Sec. School, Sector 46D, Chandigarh.
Initiating the dialogue with students Baljinder Kaur-the Eco Club incharge of the School said that ‘for fireworks to shoot up into the air and explode several pyrotechnic chemical (materials capable of undergoing exothermic reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound) are used”.
Santosh Kumar, Director, Department of Environment added that “Metallic salts are used in fireworks to produce light of different colours in the fire crackers. Calcium chloride is used to get orange colour. Similarly, sodium nitrate, barium chloride and copper chloride are used to give the airbursts yellow, green and blue colours. Caesium, Potassium and Rubidium are also used for indigo and violet colours. And more and more people are seeing bursting firecrackers as environmentally irresponsible form of entertainment”.
“We are not against the traditional way of celebrating Diwali in which the homes are decorated with lamps and people having fun with sparklers and less polluting firecrackers,” said Pramod Sharma, Coordinator of Yuvsatta.
Sudesh Raghav, Principal of the School organized distribution of green plants to school students on the occasion and motivated them to request their parents too, to gift green plants instead of any other gifts or sweets this Diwali to their friends & relatives.
The programme ended with a Pledge by all School students to observe ‘Green Diwali & stay away from crackers”.