Kolkata: Several city schools have started sensitising students to celebrate a green Diwali to save the environment. Some schools have engaged students to spread awareness by saying "no to crackers" and taking an oath not to burst them.
Some of the city schools, including Rammohan Mission School, South City International School, and DPS Newtown, have already started advising their students to avoid using illegal crackers that could harm both health and the environment.TOI reported that Kolkata Police and Bidhannagar Police had decided to visit schools, prompting some of them to sensitise their students well before Diwali.
Rammohan Mission School principal Sujoy Biswas said, "Every year, we conduct this awareness programme before Diwali, but this time we started quite early as we heard that the police were planning to visit schools to meet school children and make them aware about not bursting illegal crackers. We told Class VIII students to carry out an awareness campaign for their friends, which we felt was more effective than telling them individually."
DPS Newtown had planned an awareness march and involved senior students to sensitise junior students and friends outside the school. "Every year before Diwali, we conduct an awareness campaign, telling them not to burst crackers in any form. We are happy that we have decreased the number of students who used to burst noisy crackers earlier. Now we are encouraging them to take responsibility and make their friends aware of it," said Sonali Sen, the principal.
South City International School is set to conduct a special assembly for this purpose. Principal Satabdi Bhattacharjee said, "Our children will take the oath during the special assembly scheduled to be held on Thursday. We are planning a special workshop for junior students, likely on Friday."