Delhi schools students to get lessons on eco-friendly Diwali

New Delhi: To encourage the children to opt for a greener Diwali, the Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) has asked the school heads to address the students and staff members in the morning assembly to adopt safer and eco-friendly measures to celebrate the festival.

In a circular on Friday, it asked the schools to spread this message among parents during the parent-teacher meetings (PTMs) to be held on Saturday.

"Festive season of Diwali, Chhat Puja, Guru Parv, etc., is marked by the heavy use of firecrackers which release toxic pollutants like sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and many others, which pollute the air and cause serious ailments like asthma, bronchitis, hypertension and cardiovascular problems. The air and noise pollution caused by the firecrackers also affect the lives of animals, birds and other living beings on the earth," the circular said.

It added that the ailing and the old persons are all the more prone to catch different allergies and diseases caused by pollution.

"Therefore, all the heads of government, government-aided and unaided recognised schools under the Directorate of Education are hereby directed to sensitise the students about the ill effects of burning of firecrackers and also encourage them to celebrate the festivals like Diwali, Chhat Puja, Guru Parv, etc., by the lighting of candles, electric fancy lights, earthen lamps and keeping the environment neat and clean."

The circular also said that the students should be motivated to 'Say No to Firecrackers'. "Eco-club of the school must play a vital role in spreading mass awareness among the students, parents and School Management Committee members to keep Delhi pollution-free during the festive seasons."

In addition to this, it added that the heads of the schools should personally address the students and staff members in the morning assembly to adopt safer and eco-friendly measures to celebrate Diwali and other festivals in a different way instead of burning firecrackers.

Delhi has been facing deteriorating air quality from the past few days and the situation is expected to get worse with Diwali and the stubble burning season, according to the Delhi government.

Last year, the Supreme Court had banned the firecrackers and allowed the manufacture and sale of only green crackers -- the low emission crackers -- in the National Capital Region.