CHENNAI : Ahead of the Boghi festival, the Chennai Corporation conducted a ‘Smokeless Boghi’ awareness programme at RKM Saratha Vidyalaya in T Nagar in association with Exnora on Wednesday, according to a release from the civic body. 

Over 1,500 students took part in this awareness programme where they were advised to not burn plastic or rubber tyres as part of the Boghi festival. Burning these items are known to pollute the environment and cause cancer. 

Boghi, which is celebrated during the wee hours of the first day of Pongal, involves burning of old articles in the house. This results in a thick layer of smog in the city the following morning, causing flight delays, reduced road visibility and breathing difficulties for people with respiratory illnesses. 

“It is important to spread awareness among children, so these practices which affect the environment can be stopped in the coming years,” said Corporation Health Education Officer, TG Sreenivasan. 
With the plastic ban recently being implemented, students were educated about the 14 banned plastic items. An anti-plastic and smokeless Boghi pledge were also administered among the students. 

Festive problems
Boghi, which is celebrated during the wee hours of the first day of Pongal, involves burning of old articles in the house. This results in a thick layer of smog in the city the following morning, causing flight delays, reduced road visibility and breathing difficulties for people with respiratory illnesses.