Green Code For Eco-Friendly Festivals

India is a land of flowers and festivals with a social joy. Being a multicultural and multi religious society, India celebrates festivals of various faiths throughout the year. Colors, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers and rituals characterize these festivals. These festivals bring together thousands of people in a social binding, which is the essence of our Indian culture. But, possibly, these festivals unconsciously develop some environment pollution issues and in modern time, this environment pollution issue has gained a serious momentum and during festivals, large number of peoples are affected by pollution and a serious adverse impact is also observed upon nature which is extremely detrimental for our future generation. Noise created by the several pandals during the festival, the immersion of idols made out of chemical materials causes significant water pollution. The traditional mud idols have been replaced by plaster of paris statues, which are then painted using toxic chemical dyes to make them bright and attractive to buyers. These materials poison water bodies, by increasing chemical and organic content. In the process, ecosystems in these water bodies get harmed, and plant and fish species die in large numbers. Water that has been polluted in this way can cause diseases when drunk by people living downstream.

Festivals of India
Indian festivals, celebrated by varied cultures and through their special rituals, add to the colours of the Indian Heritage. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints, and gurus (revered teachers), or the advent of the New Year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion. Every celebration is centered around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasting. In India every region and every religion has something to celebrate. The festivals reflect the vigour and life-style of its people. Vibrant colours, music and festivity make the country come alive throughout the year. The emphasis laid on the different festivals differs in different parts of the country. For instance, Navaratri is celebrated with maximum fervour in West Bengal as compared to that in other parts of the country. Holi is celebrated with gusto in the north, and although it is also observed in the western and eastern parts of India, in the south it is almost unknown.

FESTIVAL OF HOLI:

Holi celebration takes place with lot of joy and verve throughout the country. The enthusiasm of the people reaches its peak and matches with the nature which is in full bounty at the time of Holi. Holi is being celebrated in Indian since time immemorial but the popularity of Holi celebrations seems to be rising with every passing year and so is the level of hoo-ha. As no other festival gives so much liberty to the people to let their hair loose and enjoy their hidden crazy self.

Idyllically, the festival of Holi is meant for a joyous celebration with carefree attitude. It is done in order to welcome the colors of spring. However, unfortunately the meaning of Holi has not remained the same in last few decades owing to the ruthless commercialization and origin of hazardous Holi products. So, unluckily the modern Holi does not stand for everything beautiful. In fact it has become yet another source of environmental degradation. To de-pollute Holi and rechristen in again into an environment friendly festival, a lot is required to done. In this Project we have given certain ways in which you can do little foorts from your side to change the Holi in your locality into an eco friendly Holi.

Please read on to know about the three main environmental concerns around Holi 1. The use of toxic chemical colours. 2. The use of wood for burning Holi fires. 3. The wasteful use of water during Holi. 1. Harmful Effects of Chemical Colours: Over the years, with the disappearance of trees in urban areas and greater stress for higher profits natural colours came to be replaced by industrial dyes manufactured through chemical processes. Around 2001, two environmental groups called Toxics Link and Vatavaran, based in Delhi, did a study on all the three available categories of colours available in the market - pastes, dry colours and water colours. The study revealed that all of these three forms of chemical Holi colors are hazardous. Harmful Chemicals in Holi Paste type colors: According to their researched fact sheet on Holi, the pastes contain very toxic chemicals that can have severe health effects. Please check the table below to know about the chemical used in various Holi colors and their harmful effects on human body.

Colour Black Green Silver Blue Red

Chemical Lead oxide Copper Sulphate Aluminium Bromide Prussian Blue Mercury Sulphite

Health Effects Renal Failure Eye Allergy and temporary blindness Carcinogenic Contract Dermatitis Highly toxic can cause skin cancer

Harmful Chemicals in Gulal: The dry colours, commonly known as gulals, have two components a colourant that is toxic and a base which could be either asbestos or silica, both of which cause health problems. Heavy metals contained in the colourants can cause asthma, skin diseases and adversely affect the eyes. Harms of Wet Holi Colors: Wet colours, mostly use Gentian violet as a colour concentrate which can cause skin dis-colouration and dermatitis. These days, Holi colours are sold loosely, on the roads, by small traders who often do not know the source. Sometimes, the colours come in boxes that specifically say For industrial use only.

Playing

Holi the eco-friendly way:

Use natural colours:

Use only natural and home made colours during Holi. Using a natural colour ensures that you do not harm your skin, eyes and hair while playing Holi. The fake colours normally used during Holi are chemical based and can cause harm. Such colours can not only harm your skin, eyes, hair, etc; but also cause permanent disorder to your precious organs. It is also very difficult to wash-out these fake colours while taking bath. Here is a simple and quick way of making some eco-friendly colours for Holi. Put some pieces of beet-root in boiling water and let it stay overnight. Amazing coloured water will be ready to be used for Holi in the morning. Take some black grapes and amla and cut them in fine pieces. Put the pieces in boiling water and let the water cool down to get a nice black colour for Holi.

 Dry petals of marigold flower in shadow and grind them in a mixer; a yellow is ready for you. You can also use turmeric powder as yellow colour. Turmeric powder is very good for skin. Prepare green colour by putting spinach, mint and neem leaves in hot water and let it stay for some time. You can also make dry green colour by grinding dried leaves of spinach, mint and neem leaves. Avoid using irrelevant products: Avoid using irrelevant and harmful products like oil paints, petrol, mud and other chemical based product during Holi. Such products can create health hazards and also harm nature. It is very difficult to remove colours containing such products when applied on skin. Make sure that you also stop others from using such harmful colours. Save Water: Today people are more conscious about environment and green living. Holi is a good reminder to curb water wastage during the festival of colors. Every year on Holi, people coloring each other and wasting lots of water to remove that. For Holi, you have a major role and responsibility in conserving water. Here are a few ways to save water for this festival:

 Limit the use of water: Ensure you do not waste water unnecessarily. Measure the quantity of water you want to use to play with and store it. Resist your temptations to use more water and stick to the limit or quantity of water you stored to play with. Play with dry and natural colors, they wash off easily. Bathing again and again is sure water wastage. Take bath only when you are done or finished playing in color. Play in a separate area or the garden: Getting the whole house or apartment dirty will simply lead to more water usage. When you are done playing get in your home or apartment. After Holi celebration, clean your home or area with plain water and for colored areas use a bucket with soapy water that has stain free in it and wipe the colored areas with the help of a sponge. Say No to water balloons: Water balloons are thin, small rubber balloons, filled with water.They are usually used by children, who throw them at each other, trying to get each other wet.There has been some environmental concern as they dont biodegrade or shred, they can cause harm to wildlife and the effect of litter on the environment. Do not encourage kids to play with pichkaris and water balloons. You can tell them pros and cons of wasting water and what is their role in saving water.

Festival Of Ganesh Chaturthi:

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular of Hindu festivals. This is the birthday of Lord Ganesha. It is the day most sacred to Lord Ganesha. Typically, the day usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi. This festival is observed in the lunar month of bhadrapada shukla paksha chathurthi madhyahana vyapini purvaviddha. Modak, the favourite dish of Lord Ganesha are prepared and offered to him. Then are distributed as "Prasad" to everyone.

Environmental Impact of Ganesh

Chaturthi:
Traditionally, clay was used to make Ganesh idols. Over the years however, plaster of Paris (POP), which is lighter and cheaper, has become the favoured material to mould these idols. POP contains chemicals such as gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus, and magnesium. The dyes used to colour these idols contain mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, and carbon. Plastic and thermocol accessories are used to decorate these idols. Such materials are not biodegradable, hence are toxic.

Idols made from Plaster of paris are light weight and attractive. Plaster of paris don't get dissolve easily in water. After immersion it takes more than 48 hours to get dissolve in water. Sometimes bulldozers are required to crush them into particles. The remains of statues lay on the beaches next day of immersion. It leads to dishonouring to our Ganapati Bappa.

The result of untraditional idols results are seen after the immersions which is seen at all the beaches in Mumbai as shown in picture below:

Immersion of these can poison the waters of lakes, rivers and the sea by: increasing acidity increasing solid matter increasing organic matter increasing content of heavy metals Such pollution damages the ecosystem by: Killing the fishes Damaging the plants Blocking the natural flow of the water and causing stagnation

And damages health by polluting drinking water sources causing Breathing problems Blood diseases Skin diseases The Alternatives

The Solution:
There are ways to reduce the environmental damage from Ganpati
celebrations:

Eco Friendly Mud/Clay Ganesh Idols

Use permanent idols made of brass or stone Do a symbolic immersion Reuse the same idol again the next year Use a small unpainted idol made of unbaked clay if you immerse the idol Collect the flowers and nirmalya and compost them

Several groups are now developing eco sensitive Ganesh idols that do not pollute. Amongst the materials that people are experimenting with there are idols made out of recycled waste paper, natural clay and other natural fibres. Avoid the use of idols made from POP. Always go for those made of unbaked natural clay, natural fibre, or even recycled paper. Ensure that the dyes used to colour the idols are organic or vegetable in origin. Some years ago, natural clay idols were not always easy to get and had to be specially ordered. Today, however, many volunteer organisations make and sell these environmentally safe idols and encourage people to use them. Do not use thermocol or plastic as decorations or accessories for your Ganpati idol. Instead, use cloth, wood, paper, and other natural materials that are safer when immersed in water. Immerse the idol in a tub or a tank specially made for the purpose. Later, you can discard the water by pouring it into your garden.

 If there is an artificial tank in your area specifically created for immersion purposes, use this instead of a natural source of water such as a lake or a stream. Some people use a metal or stone idol. They symbolically immerse this in a bucket of water, or even carry it in procession to the sea, hold it under the water, and then bring it back home. Collect offerings of flowers and other organic material and put them in a compost pit. These can be used to fertilise your garden. If you must immerse them, wrap them in newspapers instead of polythene bags. Song and dance are an integral part of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. However, ear-splitting decibels are not just disturbing, but a major health hazard. Moderation is the key to a safe and enjoyable Ganesh Chaturthi.

Festival Of Navratri:

Navratri, the festival of nine nights is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms. According to the Hindu calendar, Navratri begins from the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin which usually coincides with the end of the rainy season.The nine days have great religious significance as Goddess Durga, the mother, had destroyed the evil force (in the form of the demon Mahisashura) during this period. The festival is celebrated with true devotion and purity all over the country. People from various sections of the society irrespective of caste and creed celebrate this festival by visiting temples and offering pujas at the Mothers feet.

In some places special puja samarohas are also held by setting the images of Mother Durga on beautifully decorated pandals. Temples dedicated to Shakti also make arrangement for pujas and bratas to mark these nine days as true symbols of devotion and adoration towards the divine mother.

10 Tips for Celebrating Eco-friendly Navratri:

The most serious impact on the natural environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris and polythene bags containing offerings. Celebrating Eco-friendly Navratri does not mean completely giving up the things you love. Eco-friendly Navratri festival enables you to celebrate festival grandly without harming environment and other living beings. Following are ten useful and simple tips for celebrating Ecofriendly Navratri. 1. Clay idols for immersion: The idols made for immersion during Durga Puja festival were made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and painted with layers of chemical paint dissolves slowly, gradually releasing its harmful components. Using only a natural clay idol for immersion and immersing it either in the tank or in a bucket of water at home instead of directly into natural water bodies helps to prevent water pollution and saves environment.

2. Eco-Friendly Rangoli: Rangoli is an essential part of any Indian festival. Instead of using harmful chemical colors or paints for Rangoli design, you can substitute them with rice flour, pulse and leaves. 3. Eco-Friendly Dolls: During the festival of Navratri, it is customary to display a Golu or dolls. It is a traditional practice to have a figurine of a boy and a girl together called Marapacchi Bommai. Homes that follow the custom of displaying can adopt dolls made out of clay, wood and cloth than Plaster of Paris. 4. Eco-Friendly Decorative items: Decorative items made from thermocol have great demand since they are attractive and can be easily dismantled. But these decorative items made from thermocol pose a grave threat to the environment as well as human health. You can also adopt decorative items made out of palm leaves and other eco-friendly products to decor mandaps, idols, door and wall hangings. 5. Hand rolled Incense sticks: According to study, the incense used primarily for religious, medicinal and meditative purposes, was found to create air quality environments hazardous to human health. Hand rolled incense sticks with natural fragrance can be used for the Puja. Ensure that your room or premises is well ventilated.

6. Anti Noise Committees: The noise produced by crackers, loudspeaker, traffic etc are extremely hazardous to health. This can be especially upsetting to people who require undisturbed rest like babies and elderly people. You can form anti noise committees in your locality to take up all violations of the Environment Protection Act, with the police, the Municipality and if necessary, the Courts. 7. Save Energy: Since people decorate their home by lighting them up. This places a huge load on the power supply system. One can save a lot of electricity by opting candles and diyas for decorating their home. Even though they consume oil, these lamps are usually used only for a short time. 8. Say No to plastic:

Save the environment by just saying no to plastic bags. Plastic including polythene bags are one of serious impact on the natural environment during festival seasons. For this Navratri festival, say No to plastic and save the environment. 9. Prevent Water Pollution: Encourage people to immerse the icons in tanks of water rather than in natural water bodies. Ban on the immersion of Plastic and thermocol waste, including polythene bags containing offerings into lakes, rivers and the sea. If anyone is using a POP idol, adopt symbolic immersion and donate idol to recycling. 10. Clean-up drive: After the immersion ceremony on tenth day of Navratri or Vijayadasami day, encourage associations, NGOs, social workers and volunteers in your neighborhood to participate in Clean-up drive. This helps to prevent water pollution and clean-up in the lakes, ponds and water bodies created for the immersion of idol.

Festival Of Diwali:

Diwali is one the most important, hugely waited and immensely cherished festival celebrated across India and in parts of Nepal. Originally, the name was Deepawali, which has its origin from Sanskrit, meaning rows of Deep. Over the years the name has been pronounced as Diwali. Diwali also popularly known as Festival of Lights is celebrated with great gusto. The festival of Diwali is not only significant to Hindus, but, has importance in Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. For Hindus, it is associated with the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his 14 years of exile and victory over the demon Ravana.

Hindus, also make preparations to welcome goddess Lakshmi by drawing rangoli, and footsteps (Paduka) On the entrance that would allure goddess Laksmi to visit ones home and bring prosperity along with her. There are numerous customs and traditions associated with Diwali, namely, burning of crackers, playing cards, lightning of lamps, wearing new clothes, distribution of sweets, exchange of gifts etc.

Environmental Impacts:
Air Pollution through Firecrackers:
"Say 'No' to Fire crackers and 'Yes' to life!" For most people lighting of firecrackers is the highlight of Diwali. But little do people realize that in our increasingly populated and polluted cities, the temporary joy of watching the firecrackers is soon replaced by the intense air pollution caused by these. The toxic substances used in the firecrackers release toxic gases that are harmful to the health of all living beings. Sadly, few of us realise that the firecrackers used on Diwali are mostly made by very young children. Since the substances being handled are extremely toxic many of these child labourers get sick and die in their early teenage years.

 Harmful effects of Chemicals used in crackers:

Let's do a little analysis of crackers and list out in actual terms the harmful effects posed by each of its chemicals.

Chemical
Copper Cadmium Lead Magnesium Sodium Zinc Nitrate Nitrite

Impact
Irritation of respiratory tract Anemia and damage to kidney Affects the nervous system Its dust and fumes cause metal fume fever Reacts violently with moisture and can attack the skin. Leads to vomiting Could lead to mental impairment Could lead to coma

Noise Pollution caused by Fire Crackers:

Crackers that make a noise of more than 125 decibels at four metres distance from the point of bursting are banned by the law. Given here are the hazards posed by excessive noise pollution caused by crackers:

1. Hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart attack and sleeping disturbances. 2. Sudden exposure to loud noise could cause temporary deafness or permanent relative deafness.

Excessive Consumerism:
An indirect but equally significant impact of Diwali on nature is due to the increased consumption. Since Diwali is also a celebration of abundance and wealth - many people believe that it is a good time to buy. Advertisements and hoardings scream out to people offerings sales extravaganzas, bargains, discounts encouraging us to buy more and more! How does this increased consumption affect Nature? A point to realize is 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. Those sources that are non renewable (cannot be grown back) such as fossil fuels and metal ores get depleted and will one day run out. Depletion of non renewable natural resources is one of the most significant impact of consumerism. For instance, the gold earrings that you will buy on Diwali is coming from a gold mine that is not only depleting the gold resources of the earth, but in the process of mining is probably ruining several ecosystems.

 High Energy Consumption:

The festival of lights puts a considerably heavy load on electrical energy sources that are already overloaded. The use of electric lights to adorn homes, business establishments, monuments and roads requires a huge amount of electricity. The older tradition of burning oil lamps is a possible alternative to electric lights - even though it does use oil, the duration of the lamps is shorter.

Celebrating Eco-Friendly Diwali:

Listing the various environmental and health hazards caused due to present form of Diwali celebration doesnt means to stop celebrating the festival. But definitely the way of celebrating this auspicious festival can be changed. Listed below are few environment friendly tips to celebrate Diwali.

Light Diyas:

Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. Instead of electric illumination, go for traditional lightening of earthen lamps or diyas. This will not only enhance the beauty of your house but will also cut down the enormous electric consumption. Though earthen lamps need oil, the quantity required is very less and it gives light for at least 3-4 hours. This will help you save electricity and also add a traditional stroke with social responsibility in the festival.

Organic Gifts:

Diwali is a time for giving and sharing. This Diwali, go green and get organic gifts for your friends and family. This will be an innovative idea; it will also help to spread environmental awareness. Exotic herbal soaps and crmes, special teas, gourmet

coffee, spices, plants and flower seeds etc., are such options. Tons of paper is wasted as wrapping sheets. Avoid wrapping them in coloured paper. Cloth or jute will be a greener option.

Eco-friendly Crackers:
Crackers are an essential part of Diwali. However, pollution level in the air shoots up drastically during Diwali. Instead of selecting traditional chemical cracker this Diwali go for eco-friendly crackers. Eco-friendly crackers are made up of recycled paper and the sound produced by these crackers is under the decibel limit defined by the Pollution Board. These crackers produce paper fluffers and different color lights instead of sound on bursting.

 Celebrate Diwali with a different meaning:

Diwali is family time. But what about those elders and kids who have no families. Wouldn't it be nice if we all could take out some time this Diwali to meet them? There are several old age homes and orphanages dotting the city so finding them shouldn't be a problem. You can celebrate this Diwali with poor and underprivilege children. Share your Diwali crackers, sweets and happiness with poor children.

Eco-friendly Decorations:
Instead of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) decorations, use fresh flowers and foliage to decorate the house. PVC is detrimental to the environment. Place a large metal, or clay urli, near your entrance. Fill it with water and place floating candles and flowers. It makes a very beautiful centerpiece. Rangolis and alpanas are traditional ways to decorate the courtyard. Place scented candles around the house to make it all glittering and bright. Use organic agarbattis and incense in place of synthetic room fresheners.

Festival Of Christmas:

How to Celebrate an Eco-friendly Christmas:

Christmas, one of the biggest holidays for retail, still generates unnecessary trash, uses precious resources, and creates quite a large footprint. It is not difficult to find ways to celebrate a green Christmas, but just requires a bit of creativity. 1. Use LED Christmas Lights: Green Christmas decorations can be homemade, or reused. Use LED Christmas lights to save energy. Celebrating a Green Christmas is well worth the extra effort and thought, and will save you some green cash as well. LED Christmas lights consume 90% less

electricity compared to regular Christmas lights and regular incandescent bulbs 2. Timing Christmas Lights: Do not turn on the Christmas lights during the daytime. It is a waste of energy and electricity and no one can really enjoy looking at the lights during the day. Use a timer to automatically switch on lights when it gets dark and switch them off when there is plenty of natural light. 3. Decorate with Candles:

Candles are another beautiful way to decorate a room. You can use scented candles to add to the sensory pleasure

4. Green Christmas cards: Green Christmas cards and recycled wrapping paper are both great options for a Green Christmas. Consider re-using paper already in your house, rather than buying new wrapping paper, a waste of both paper and the plastic it is wrapped in. Make your own cards with supplies at home, or buy cards made of recycled paper. Green Santa has plenty of Green Christmas gift ideas, or use your creativity to make presents for loved ones, rather than buying more products packaged in plastic. People usually appreciate homemade Christmas gifts much more than mass market ones, and the planet will appreciate your consideration as well. 5. Christmas Tree Recycling:

Here are both general tips and options for recycling Christmas trees Drop-off recycling Take your tree to a drop off recycling center. Most counties have free drop-off locations throughout the county. Remove the tree The best way to avoid a mess removing your tree is to place a plastic tree bag underneath the stand when you set up the tree. You can hide it with a tree skirt. Then, when the holidays are done, pull the bag up around the tree stand and carry it outside. Soil erosion barriers Some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially for lake and river shoreline stabilization and river delta sedimentation management. Fish feeders Sunk into private fish ponds, trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish. Bird feeders Place the Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Fresh orange slices or strung popcorn will attract the birds, and they can sit in the branches for shelter. Eventually the branches will become brittle and you can break the tree apart by hand or chip it in a chipper.

 Paths for Hiking Trails Some counties use the shredded trees as free and renewable material for nature paths that serve the needs of both the environment and hikers.