Here's How This Panchkula School Is Inspiring Students To Celebrate Diwali Responsibly

With the Diwali festivities right around the corner, many initiatives have been undertaken on the governmental as well as citizen levels to make the green switch. With many vowing to "Say No" to firecrackers, a school based in Haryana is saying yes to the crackers in an innovative way. The students were in for a surprise to have found that the traditional-looking firecrackers given to them for free were plantable.

Tradition With A Twist

The school in Panchkula, Haryana, with the help of the KJF India manufacturers, brought a set of seed crackers that resembled the traditional-looking firecrackers such as rockets, ground spinners, bombs, and so on. The only difference was that they were filled with a good portion of manure and seeds.

Officials lauded the cracker lookalikes initiative and deemed it as first-of-its-kind in the region. Appreciating the efforts taken up by the school to encourage children to celebrate responsibly, they stated that it would encourage more people to join along in pollution-free celebrations.

The school has distributed the specially handcrafted seed crackers free of cost to the students and continues to promote the idea of going green this Diwali.

An article by the Indian Express quoted the school director Sanjay Thareja saying, "Once planted, they (seed crackers) will sprout into different plants like marigold, basil, and sunflower. The seed crackers are made of handmade paper which is 100% bio-degradable". Additionally, they are crafted in such a manner that they would not burn a hole in the pocket of parents who are encouraged to buy them. It also avoids the usual concerns of noise and air pollution seen during Diwali and, in turn benefits the environment through small means.

Starting From A Young Age

Speaking about the Diwali motto that they have followed for years, Thareja said, "Saying no to crackers has always been the motto of our school. However, this time we have changed the slogan to 'Say Yes to Crackers', for all good reasons and with all good intentions".

He strongly believes that educational institutions play a pivotal role in conveying ideas of becoming "responsible, sensitive and proactive individuals" among students. The seed cracker initiative is considered a small step in this direction.

A demonstration session was held for the students on October 20, where they were educated about how the crackers can be planted and taken care of. Each green cracker comes with a completely bio-degradable outer covering and has to be broken into two parts before sowing it. Students enthusiastically watered the pits in which the crackers were emptied and became part of a larger movement toward sustainable and eco-friendly celebrations.

Also Read: This Bhubaneswar Based Foundation Comes With Unique Green Initiative To Celebrate Cracker-Free, Eco-Friendly Diwali