Varanasi: Students pledge not to burn firecrackers

The students of CM Anglo Bengali College in Varanasi on Friday pledged not to burn crackers during Diwali in bid to prevent air and noise pollution.

The students of the school have pledged to work for the cause of saving the environment and encouraging others also to not to use crackers.

Speaking to ANI Satyam Chauhan, a student said: "We have taken a pledge not to burn firecrackers and will create awareness among people to do the same. We will light diyas instead of firecrackers."

"We have taken a pledge that on the day of Diwali we will only light diyas instead of firecrackers. The firecrackers are polluting our environments and burning crackers is harmful to patients and elder people," another student Rahul said.

Chetan Upadhyaya, founder secretary of one such foundation which campaigns against reducing noise pollution, told ANI: "Diwali is the festival of lights but due to the ignorance of some people, it has become the festival of darkness."

"The festival of joy should not turn into mourning, because of which for the last 11 years we go to different educational institutes in various districts and organise pledge programme against firecrackers," he said.

"Many children burn their hands, fingers and even eyes while burning firecrackers. We have appealed the government for the complete ban on firecrackers," Upadhyaya added.