Bad Effects of Festivals on the Environment

Introduction: Environment is the natural world which is made by the living beings (people, animals and the plants) and land. Therefore it is the surroundings that affect the behaviour and development of a living being or a thing. The surroundings may be living factors like plants, animals and decomposers and non-living things like air, water, light, soil etc. Human beings are the product of the environment. They are an important factor of the environment. It is the environment that helps us for our survival, growth, development, reproduction and health. No creature's existence is possible without the balance of the natural elements. Thus, there must be a healthy environment for our sound living. The healthier the environment the happier the living beings including humans.

However, knowing that the environment should be clean, healthy and non-polluted, the large scale celebration of various festivals have degraded the quality of the environment. The practice of immersion of Ganesh idols after the Ganesh festival in various cities is causing severe water pollution which leads to the death of tonnes of fish and many aquatic creatures. The immersion of Durga Statutes during the Durga pooja is also a cause of concern for environmentalists. In Orissa alone 5,000 Durga pooja idols are made, most of them using harmful paints.

Diwali, one of the important festivals in India has the distinction of polluting the environment to the core. Newborns and aged people have a nightmarish experience because of the high levels of sound caused by crackers during Diwali. Noise pollution on Diwali is between 69.7 db and 88.3 db which are higher than the prescribed limit of 50 db. The decibel levels alarmingly high in metros and it may reach up to 100 db. The government, police, pollution control boards are suggesting many alternative ways to celebrate festivals which does not pollute the environment. Even strict and stringent warnings are also given to public to refrain from bursting crackers such as atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, bullet bombs, thousand and ten thousand wallas. But it is all solely depend on the “change of mind”.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The project aims to understand and raise awareness about the bad effects of various festivals on the environment and help us know how it degrades the environment and also how can we reduce its ill effects on the environment. Festivals is of great significance in the Indian culture because it marks a special event in its history and hence is a cause for celebration. But since it has a lot of bad effects on the environment today, we must know how to reduce it as much as possible and how to start using eco friendly products to pave way for a healthier and more sustainable environment.

DIWALI: Air pollution during Diwali Clearly environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle. They come up with awareness campaigns and slogans like “Diwali is a festival of lights, not crackers”, “celebrate an eco-sensitive Diwali this year”, but nobody seems to take notice. Apart from the noise, crackers release a lot of toxic gases like Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide which can lead to many health problems.

Impact of air pollution on health

Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children. Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disease

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Sulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortness of breath.

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Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children.

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Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and

others can have various harmful effects. Festival of noise and pollution

Every Diwali, tradition, health and safety collide amidst celebrations.

Harmful effects of Chemicals Used in Crackers: 

Copper: Poison to humans by ingestion. Inhalation of copper dust and fume causes irritation in the respiratory tract. Absorption of excess copper results in "Wilson's

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disease" in which excess copper is deposited in the brain, skin, liver, pancreas and myocardium (middle muscular layer in the heart). Cadmium: Can be poisonous to humans by inhalation, ingestion, intraperitonial, subcutaneous, intra-muscular and intravenous routes. Cadmium absorption can damage the kidneys and can cause anaemia. It is a potential human carcinogen. Cadmium causes increased blood pressure and also a disease called "Itai--Itai", which makes bones brittle resulting in multiple fractures. Lead: Affects the central nervous system in humans. A poison if ingested, moderately irritating. It can cause cancer of lungs and kidneys and an experimental teratogen. When heated it can emit highly toxic fumes. In inorganic form, it is a general metabolic poison and an enzyme inhibitor. Young children can suffer mental retardation and semi-permanent brain damage by exposure to lead. Incase of lead levels in blood, the disturbing feature is that the natural levels are very close to the lowest safety limits. Magnesium: Poison by ingestion, inhalation of magnesium dust and fumes can cause metal fume fever. Particles embedded in the skin can produce gaseous blebs and a gas gangrene. Dangerous fire hazard in the form of dust or flakes when exposed to flames. Manganese in the air has adverse effects on humans. Poisoning takes the form of progressive deterioration in the central nervous system. Manganese: An experimental carcinogen and mutagen. Human toxicity caused by dust or fumes. The main symptoms of exposure are languor, sleepiness, weakness, emotional disturbances, spastic gait and paralysis. Potassium: Dangerous fire hazard. If there is any confinement, an explosion can occur. Sodium: In elemental form, it is highly reactive, particularly with moisture with which it reacts violently and therefore can attack living tissue. When heated in air, it emits toxic fumes of sodium oxide. Dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat and moisture. Zinc: Human skin irritant and effects pulmonary system. Pure zinc powder is nontoxic to humans by inhalation but difficulty arises from oxidation (burning), as it emits zinc fumes. Zinc is perhaps the least toxic of all heavy metals, in fact an essential element in animal and human nutrition, still they become toxic when absorbed in excess. Zinc stimulates the sensation of vomiting. An exposure to 150 mg of zinc can stimulate the process of vomiting in an adult male. Nitrate: Large amounts taken by mouth can have serious and even fatal effects. The symptoms are dizziness, abdominal cramps, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, weakness, convulsions and collapse. Small repeated doses may lead to weakness, general depression, headache and mental impairment. Also there is some implication of increased cancer incidents among those exposed. Highly inflammable and on decomposition they emit highly toxic fumes. Nitrite: Large amounts taken by mouth may produce nausea, vomiting, cyanosis, collapse and coma. Repeated small doses can cause a fall in blood pressure, rapid pulse, headaches and visual disturbances. When heated, emit highly toxic fumes of NOx.

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Phosphorous in PO4: Poison to humans. Dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or chemical reaction. Poison by inhalation, ingestion, skin contact and subcutaneous routes. Ingestion affects the central nervous system. Toxic quantities have an acute effect on the liver and can cause severe eye damage. Sulphur in SO4: Poison to humans by inhalation an eye, skin and mucous membrane irritant and corrosive, an experimental carcinogen. It chiefly affects the upper respiratory tract and the bronchi. It may cause edema of the lungs or glottis, and can produce respiratory paralysis. Source: Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference, N.Irving Sax and Richard J.Lewis

The conflict between competing interests in society - safety, health, and calm on the one hand, and tradition on the other hand, has evolved over time, and the health effects are receiving greater attention. Roshan Lal, owner of the New Royal Fireworks set up in 1928 in Sadar Bazar says his family has been in the trade of crackers since the days of Prthviraj Chauhan but now the business is not profitable. A combination of political will and public support to limit health and environmental hazards, and at the same time maintain memorable traditions, is needed to restore Deepawali to its pristine flavour.

Hindu Festivals Bring Pollution To India’s Waterways

As Hindus across India celebrate religious festivals in September and October, many are concerned about the impact of toxic chemicals that are washing off of thousands of idols immersed in rivers and lakes. The pollution is killing fish and contaminating crops, said experts and environmentalists on Monday. The decorated statues are worshipped before they are taken to the rivers, laves and the sea, where they are immersed in accordance with Hindu faith. But environmentalists have raised questions about the non-biodegradable materials contained in the idols such as plastic, cement, plaster of Paris and toxic dyes. Paints contain metals like mercury, cadmium and lead, which can pass up the food chain from fish to human beings. After the statues are immersed, the toxins then contaminate food crops when villagers use the polluted water for irrigation, said Shyam Asolekar, science and engineering head at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. "Even small traces are extremely toxic as they persist in the body for a long time and accumulate in the human tissues," said Asolekar, who has closely studied the effects of Hindu customs.

Plaster of Paris, for example does not dissolve easily and it also reduces the oxygen level in the water, said environmentalists. Statue remains from festivities last year still float in rivers and water tanks in Mumbai, where the annual "Ganesh Chaturthi" festival culminate in the immersion of some 160,000 statutes — some up to 25 feet high — by millions of devotees. Traditionally, idols were made from mud and clay and vegetable-based dyes were used to paint them. But commercialization of festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja has meant people want bigger and brighter idols and are no longer happy with the eco-friendly statues. "If we do not respect nature then we are not respecting god," said Manisha Gutman of environmental group Eco Exist. About 80 percent of India’s 1.1 billion population are Hindus. In recent years, their religious festivals and customs have come under increasing scrutiny as public awareness of environmental issues grows. The spring festival of Holi involves the throwing of colored powder but studies have found that the industrial powders used are often toxic and can cause asthma, temporary blindness and even skin cancer.

Suit Challenges Noise Pollution During Hindu Festivals In Indian City

In the Indian city of Thane, a lawsuit has been filed seeking to require the city to enforce noise ordinances against those celebrating Hindu religious festivals. According to yesterday's Times of India, political parties have reacted negatively to the public interest lawsuit filed by activist Dr. Mahesh Bedekar, saying that restrictions will dampen the festive spirit. Police issued notices to 51 mandals, most formed by politicians, that exceeded permitted decibel levels by 100% during Monday's Dahi handi celebrations. Meanwhile, according to another Times of India article, today the Bombay High Court ordered the state to convene a meeting with mandal representatives to see if the festival can be celebrated with less noise next year. In anticipation of the upcoming Ganesh festival, the court directed the mayor to meet with city corporators to discuss noise pollution, and told police not to issue permits for loud speakers within 100 meters of major hospitals. Air pollution during Diwali Clearly environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle. They come up with awareness campaigns and slogans like “Diwali is a festival of lights, not crackers”, “celebrate an ecosensitive Diwali this year”, but nobody seems to take notice. Apart from the noise, crackers release a lot of toxic gases like Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide which can lead to many health problems.

Impact of air pollution on health Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children. Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disease Sulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortness of breath. Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children. Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and others can have various harmful effects.

Air pollution during Diwali

Studies by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) around Delhi conclude that this year, RSPM levels during Diwali doubled compared to 2006. A Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) study last year showed a 6-10% percent increase in air pollution during Diwali.

Clearly environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle. They come up with awareness campaigns and slogans like “Diwali is a festival of lights, not crackers”, “celebrate an ecosensitive Diwali this year”, but nobody seems to take notice. Apart from the noise, crackers release a lot of toxic gases like Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide which can lead to many health problems.

Impact of air pollution on health

Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children. Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disease



Sulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortness of breath.



Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children.



Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and others can have various harmful effects.

GANESH CHATURTHI/DURGA POOJA: Durga Puja is one of the auspicious occasion celebrated with great enthusiasum across India. In modern times, festivals are getting commercialised and taking the shape of pomp and show. Different communities set huge gigantic and attractive bright idols in order to compete with other communities. This all leads to major problem of environment pollution. Idols made by non biodegradable material and toxic paints contaminate water making it unfit for survival of aquatic life and drinking purposes.

The material used for idols like POP is mainly the compound of gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium. Chemical paints comprise of mercury, cadmium; lead and carbon. Immersion of idols with such poisonous and toxic elements raises the level of acidity, solid matter, organic matter and heavy metals in water bodies. These materials don’t dissolve readily and lowers the oxygen level in water adversely affecting the aquatic life. In order to come out of such problems and enjoy festival with the same spirit, devotees themselves should give a serious thought over the methods of celebrations and should turn to eco friendly idols for their celebrations. Even Government should also take a step towards this burning issue and set strict guidelines for craftsmen to use eco-friendly materials andorganic paints.

Environmental Consciousness Amongst People It is a relief to notice that the awareness about the environmental impacts of celebrating Holi are being brought to light by various NGOs. And gradually, more and more Indians are choosing to turn to a more natural and less wasteful way of playing Holi.

Shocking Pollution during the Ganesh Festival Yesterday was an important day. It was Anant Chaturthi the culmination of a ten-day long Ganesh Festival, one of the most important festivals of western India. It was a day of great joyousness and celebration…but it has an ugly side. The environmental damage it causes. Thousands of idols made from harmful materials like plaster of paris and toxic metals, coated with deadly paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon enter our water bodies. These idols, some of them gigantic in size, are immersed in lakes, rivers and the sea. Just Mumbai’s sea takes in about 1.5 lakh (1 lakh = 100,000) idols every year! Is it any wonder then then oxygen levels in the water bodies fall by about 50 per cent immediately after the 10-day Ganeshutsav festival? Not many care Although there are organisations working towards creating awareness about the benefits of

using eco-friendly idols and state governments do issue ‘guidelines’ about immersions, not much is happening on the ground. Although there are specially prepared tanks for immersions, people don’t prefer to use these, and few are interested in eco-friendly idols. It was heartening to see Harsha actually try and find out the situation on the ground. He trudged four hours in the hot sun in Pune to find out if people were using eco-friendly idols. His findings: As I continued my search in the streets of Pune, I came across many idols-made of materials as varied as PoP, Silver, Tin Foil and Thermocol, but not the green Ganesha. That’s what I was looking for..an idol made of clay and a pandal that used eco-friendly materials…I must have walked for at least 20 km, clicking hundreds of pix on the way. I could not find a single idol made of clay, nor a pandal which didn’t use the papi materials – PoP and Thermocol. Well, finally he did find a green pandal, but no idol. This then is the reality. No one cares. And we are not just talking of the masses here. I have tried to convince several people I know and while they agreed with me in theory, none of them actually went and bought an eco-friendly idol. In fact one lady told me point blank: When there is a law against it we’ll do it! This even though they clearly see the water bodies around them getting polluted. I don’t believe this is due to religious reasons, but due to apathy and lack of civic sense. What actually happens? Here are the results of a scientific study done on a body of water in Andhra Pradesh, the Hussainsagar Lake. After examining the water before and after immersion the scientists found that the concentration of substances like calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and silicon concentrations increased significantly. Also, it was found that concentrations of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury had increased. Metals like lead and mercury are particularly worrisome as they are dangerous to health and can damage the heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory system and central nervous system. Besides polluting the water, they reach humans via the food chain, when humans consume fish and other sea-food. If the fish survive that is! Because hundreds of fish are found dead after the immersions. The picture on the right is of a beach right after an immersion and that is what the tide has brought in. The site from where I took the photo has other very vivid pictures…if you want to see them just click on the picture. If people don’t listen, we need the laws The problem is that politicians don’t want to take tough action as they are afraid of upsetting the public as this is a religious issue. But I think it isn’t. Traditionally, we used mud idols and natural colours. These polluting idols are a modern invention and nothing to do with religion!

No one is banning immersion. Or denouncing it. To put in place laws to make it compulsory to make idols out of an eco-friendly material should not hurt religious sentiment. All we will be doing is going back to the way the festival was traditionally celebrated. An information campaign to this effect will go a long way in educating those who think that using poisonous materials are what God commanded or that this was how it was traditionally done. I am sure that a public information campaign which enumerates the amount of life that is destroyed will impact a lot of people as quite a few Hindus are vegetarians who are against killing of animals even for food. I wonder if it is a powerful lobby of businessmen and those in the trade of manufacturing and selling these poisonous idols who are making the politicians drag their feet on this one. Because in this case it is only the politicians who can help us – with laws. Update: I am adding this link which talks of the dangers to flora and fauna because the idols don’t dissolve. They go to the river bed and affect the plant life. I thought this was pretty obvious and had therefore not added this link before but from some comments I realise that people are not aware of this fact. Visual pollution during the Ganesh Festival The religious fervour and euphoria of the ten days of Ganpati Bappa is over. People who fled the city to escape the din (there is considerable amount of sound pollution due to the use of loudspeakers) and the crowds, have come back. Politicians are conducting drives to clear the debris on the beaches. And many of us regret the environmental damage. Another thing we want to put behind us are the instances of intimidation/extortion before the start of the celebrations (to collect money for the Ganesh mandals). There are two other negative aspects. One concerns aesthetics and the other, the gross commercialisation of the festival. I am not talking of the loud filmi music played at the mandals, but the presence of brands. Whether it’s Idea or Hero Honda, or Lizzat Papad, scores of brands were given permission by the municipality to put up posters and banners and hoardings acrosss Pune city, particularly on roads with the mandals. I am not sure what the financial arrangement was here, how much the mandals got, but I am sure they got something too. Even if they didn’t, I don’t see why a religious festival has to become an opportunity for the government to make a few extra bucks. All billboard norms were thrown to the wind! I am not in Pune now, but I wonder if these banners have been removed or whether they have been carelessly discarded and are rotting in some ditch! The government knows that no one will protest because the minute anything is “religious” people bear it in silence. People are afraid that if they protest others could well question their faith in God. How else to explain

the uglification of a city and people’s tolerance levels? I cannot believe that anyone thinks that polluting the city with ad banners has anything to do with religion. These are some of the pictures I took during the Ganesh Festival. They speak louder than words.

Air pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a growing cause for concern. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) – dust, fumes, smoke, and gases – is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. This level sees a quantum jump during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammable substances, and artificial colors.