Post news network
Bhubaneswar, Nov 6: The state government has asked all schools and colleges to educate students as well as spread awareness against bursting firecrackers this Diwali. The move is in line with a recent Supreme Court order on spreading awareness on the ill effects of firecrackers.
The court has also said that all states and Union territories should spread awareness on the harmful effects of firecrackers during the festive season. “Firecrackers generate a lot of sound and also cause a lot of air pollution, which is no doubt harmful for everyone. The Supreme Court’s order is justifiable,” said an environmentalist here.
“We direct teachers, lecturers, assistant professors, professors of schools and colleges to educate students about the ill effects of fireworks,” the apex court had said while hearing a writ petition last month.
“We have notified all schools, colleges and other stakeholders to spread awareness about the ill effects of fireworks. The departments concerned such as school and mass education and higher education have been asked to submit an action take report on this,” said an official of the forest and environment department here.
The Supreme Court order has drawn mixed reaction. “Diwali is a traditional festival. We observe it to signify the homecoming of lord Ram. We used to light dias but with the passage of time, the definition of the festival changed and we shifted to bursting crackers, which is a matter of concern,” said Centre for Environmental Studies director Sailabala Padhi.
People should maintain the dignity of the festival and use low-decibel crackers and those that do not generate much air pollution, Padhi said. “We cannot ask children to give-up celebrating Diwali, but we can educate them to celebrate it in an environment friendly manner,” she said.
