Chandigarh-based youth organisation plans to recycle used 'diyas' to keep environment clean

While the government is putting in place the efforts, initiatives and policies to keep the environment clean, citizens are also contributing to saving the planet.

A youth welfare association in Chandigarh has come up with a solution to recycle used 'diyas' (earthen lamps) by collecting them a day after Diwali and sell them in the market. The money made will be invested in the education of needy children.

Speaking to ANI, founder of the association named Rohit on Thursday said, "I noticed that after the Diwali puja, the Municipal Corporation and other authorities break them into pieces and discard them. So instead of discarding them, we thought of collecting all the earthen lamps day after the Diwali. The 'diyas' is used in every house during Diwali and people tend to throw them after the rituals are over. In this regard, we contacted the cleaners and the municipal corporation to plan everything out."

He continued that the earthern lamps will be painted to sell in the market, adding that the money collected will be given to the education of needy children.

"We are colouring the lamps that we collected last year and this year too we will collect the lamps. In the process, the lamps will be left in the water for three days and then left to dry in the sun. Then we will paint them with two coatings of paint and later sell them in the market. The profit from this business will be invested in the education of needy children. We have 30,000 'diyas' and will sell them in Rs. 30. If we have full support from the society then approximately we will earn Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000," he said.

Keeping the no use of plastic initiative in mind, the organisers have also decided to give earthern lamps in a jute bag.

"I want people to encourage the usage of eco-friendly items. We have tried to avoid the usage of plastic bags as we plan to give the 'diyas' in eco- friendly bags and jute bags," Rohit added.