India, Nov. 8 -- What began as an effort to save water grew into a 30-year movement to promote an eco-friendly Diwali at Saraswati Vidyalaya, Thane, and through Jigyasa, a Thane-based social organisation. Surendra Dighe, who heads the school management and Jigyasa, said the journey began in 1986 when they took up a drive against water pollution. The organisation built an artificial stone lake in a nearby village and observed the increase in water pollution during the Ganpati idol immersion. The team then started cleaning the water body and spread awareness about the importance of clean water among villagers. They subsequently broadened the scope to combat air pollution, which led them to promote a firecracker-free Diwali. "We realised that an awareness about a clean environment should not remain limited to discussions. It should become a part of children's lives. We started with scientific projects on water pollution and gradually introduced activities to explain about environmental pollution to students," said Dighe. The school initiated the awareness with pre-primary students, with the belief that good habits must be inculcated early. Teachers also involved parents so that the idea could seamlessly flow between home and school. Today, three generations of students and families are carrying forwards this initiative. "We have been successful in planting the seeds of eco-friendly Diwali celebrations across three generations. Seeing more youngsters celebrate without firecrackers gives us the greatest satisfaction," he said. "When I was in Class 5, my school used to conduct environment awareness activities during festivals such as Diwali, Holi and Ganeshotsav. Since then, I have never burst firecrackers in the last 20 years," said Kalyani Somani, a Thane resident and former student of the school. "We were taught about the impact of festivals on the environment very early - those lessons stayed with me. It took time for my family to accept a fire cracker-free Diwali, but thanks to the awareness, they eventually saw the virtue in the initiative. We never brought firecrackers home since then," she said. "Considering the current AQI of our city, everyone must become aware of the impact of their actions on the environment."...