With Diwali around the corner, Delhi is preparing for the festival of lights, but the city is also mindful of the pollution that usually follows the celebrations. This year, a growing number of children in the capital are taking a stand against firecrackers, raising awareness in their schools and neighbourhoods about the environmental and health hazards associated with them.

Students take a stand against firecrackers

Class 10 student Urvi Parashar explained, "Green crackers definitely reduce pollution, but they still harm us. They cause noise pollution and toxin production, and put our health at risk. Noise pollution also harms our pets and birds. So, at the end of the day, crackers are still crackers, and they continue to cause us harm."

Students are also taking steps within their schools to encourage responsible celebrations. Class 12 student Sachi Verma says that, "Our principal ma’am has provided us with a list of events that we are going to conduct this week and next week, leading up to Diwali. So, the first one was the orientation. We went to the classes and orientated the students, telling them that even though there are green crackers, everyone should still celebrate a pollution-free Diwali."

Parents voice health concerns

There are still worries about the health hazards, even though some parents recommend using green crackers as a compromise. Tarun Kumar, a parent, said, "Crackers should be avoided, whether they are green or normal, because pollution will happen either way. Considering the current state of Delhi, we should try to reduce it as much as possible. Even now, crackers are still being burst, but the government is trying to bring some balance. Compared to normal crackers, green crackers cause slightly less pollution, so I think this initiative by the government is a positive step."

Richa Parashar, another parent, added, "When crackers are burnt, they release a lot of toxic fumes that remain in the air for a long time. These fumes persist even after we stop burning crackers. Delhi being one of the most polluted cities in the world, I think this is the time for us to take a step forward — that’s why we should celebrate a cracker-free Diwali."

Pollution disrupts academic schedule

Meanwhile, students say the pollution spike after Diwali also affects their studies, as schools often shift to online classes during the peak pollution period.

According to Class 10 student Ashvika Yadav, "Pollution levels also greatly affect our academics. For example, I am in class 10 and have to appear for my board examinations this year. When classes are held online due to pollution, our learning pace slows down, our syllabus gets delayed, and everything gets disrupted."

Class 9 student Arhav added, "We shouldn't use firecrackers, as they cause a lot of air and noise pollution. It harms the environment and also affects our health, we suffer from respiratory issues. It also impacts our academics because schools often remain closed for 1–2 weeks after Diwali due to the pollution, which affects our studies badly."

Schools lead awareness campaigns

Some schools are now taking active initiatives to create awareness about the harmful effects of firecrackers. Class 12 student Dhruv Verma said, "We started all this from our school itself. First, we conducted an orientation session in our school, then we organised campaigns. Today is our second rally, in which we’ll go around the neighbourhoods to spread awareness about how harmful crackers are. We taught the students in our school how bad it is to burn crackers. We went to every class and conducted orientations, and now we’re also preparing a podcast that will soon be released on our channel to further spread awareness about how harmful crackers are."

According to Ritu Bhatia, a teacher, "From the beginning, we’ve been creating awareness among students about green crackers, telling them to say a big “no” to crackers. We will not burn crackers, even if they are green, because they still cause some kind of noise pollution. To make children aware, we are organising rallies and street plays (nukkad natak) to instil in them the value that we must keep Delhi clean and completely avoid burning crackers."

As the nation's capital prepares to celebrate the festival of lights, young voices in Delhi are leading the charge for a cleaner, healthier, and more responsible Diwali this year.