Eco-Friendly Diwali
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Small diyas or earthen lamps lit on the moonless Diwali night signify the end of darkness of ignorance and the beginning of light that enlightens all. On this auspicious occasion, it is equally important to know the ill-effects of the boisterous celebrations of Diwali on our environment. On this festive occasion, people buy new items and throw away old ones. It is worth remebering that all man-made items are made out of materials that come from Nature; be it plastic, metal, paper or cloth – all of these raw materials come directly from nature.
A noteworthy question to ponder at this stage is as to where do all the things we throw away go finally. Solid waste created by human beings which is non-biodegradable is generally filled into holes dug up in the ground. These ‘landfills’ may exist for centuries without completely getting integrated into the soil. The plastic toys that are thrown away today may exist in a landfill even several generations after ours.
In order to maintain ecological equilibrium and preserve natural environment, there is urgent need to observe following principles:
· Reduce the amount of things we use;
· Reuse the things we have in different forms until we have absolutely no use for them;
· Recycle items that are no longer functional;
· One should rethink the choices one makes while deciding to buy something; and
· Refuse things that are not required at all.
