Festivals: A Time of Celebration or Impending Environmental Disaster (A Comprehensive Analysis on Degradation of Indian Environment) Su oy Chatter ee!

and Dr" #rashant $ehta!! !Student III Semester %"S&" ''"%" ((ons")) *ational 'a+ ,niversity) -odhpur (.a ") !! Assistant #rofessor) Fa&ulty of S&ien&e) *ational 'a+ ,niversity) -odhpur (.a ") Email: prashantmehta/0rediffmail"&om

A%ST.ACT In India with the advent of spring season just after monsoons, it is the season of festivals and festivities for different communities, where a spectrum of culturally very different rituals and mode of festival celebrations are witnessed. The whole gamut of festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga uja, Diwali, and !oli are occasions for great joy and celebrations across the length and breadth of our country "ith festivals season comes a disaster. ollution of various types is generated in large amounts all across the country, thereby adding an even greater load pollutants and contaminants to our already over polluted environment, overburdened rivers, lakes, and seas. This coupled with inade#uate waste collection and waste disposal knowledge the devastating impact is far reaching is felt for longer duration of time. Immersion of idols made of plaster of paris, lime, cement contain to$ic substances like lead paints, silt the water bodies leading to wide scale pollution and degradation of natural environment and thus threatning sustainability of many species.

1E2 34.DS: #4'',TI4*) FESTI5A'S) AI.) 3ATE.) S4I') E*5I.4*$E*T

I*T.4D,CTI4* On the onset pollution is a small word, but its impact is very broad, far reaching, and very specific. It can be described as change or alteration in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of air (atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), and land (lithosphere) that is harmful to human beings and other forms of life. With unprecedented growth in population, growing urbanization, and rapid industrialization,

the pollution has sky rocketed all over the globe thus posing a serious threat to human health and environment particularly so in developing countries like India. In India, strict enforcement of environmental laws is lacking. !ollution of various types is generated in large amounts all across the country which is mostly untreated. "his coupled with inade#uate waste collection and waste disposal knowledge not only leads to devastating conse#uences but also have irreversible and far reaching impact and the conse#uences of such environmental degradation magnify with the passage of time and are felt for longer duration of time. $ wide spectrum of culturally very different rituals and mode of festival celebrations are witnessed in India. %ature&s rhythm, seasonal changes and the cycle of life and death have found religious and spiritual re enforcement through a number of traditional Indian festivals. 'owever, with festivals come environmental disasters. (uring festival season, air and water pollution increases manifold. We have so many festivals and their increasing commercialization (a growing economy is turning every celebration into a grand occasion to splurge) has led to depletion or pollution of natural resources. In this scenario we should all be aware of what such large scale unbridled celebrations are doing to our environment.

3ATE. #4'',TI4* )ven though safe drinking water* is a problem in all the developing countries and limited fresh water resources, India has been polluting these precious treasures at an alarming rate. We are especially careless during festivities. +ased on the theme of resurgence and re,uvenation, many festivals involve immersion of idols into water bodies as a symbol of returning the elements which give life, back to the earth for a new cycle to begin. In the recent years, the practice of immersion has become a growing cause for concern on account of its adverse environmental impacts, particularly on the water bodies. "o-ic e-posure of the larger community through deadly chemicals and heavy metals used for making idols is now being placed under the scanner
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Safe Drinking Water The need, the problem, solutions and an action plan Report of Third World Academy of Sciences, July !!

of authorities and civil society groups with great focus. $t the core of this concern is the issue of to-ic materials and chemicals that have been added to the centuries old process of making idols for immersion.

With a general deterioration of the water bodies due to growing population pressure and burgeoning pollution, the practice of immersion in its current form and volume is posing a serious hazard to life and environment. "he festivals of .anesh /haturthi and (urga !u,a witness a massive community involvement. "o match the contemporary ethos, new materials are being used for 0modernising& the representation of these idols without much thought being given to the issue of to-icity and its impact on the environment.

"he festivities surrounding .anesh /haturthi and (urga !u,a culminate with idols being immersed in various ponds and lakes, painting a picture of ecological disaster. 1umbai&s sea beaches take in *.2 lakhs of .anesh idols every year whereas in West +engal, over 23,333 idols are immersed in the .anges river after (urga !u,a. "hus the problem is spread countrywide. Immersion of idols in these natural a#uatic ecosystems destroys the whole ecological balance. "he problem becomes more acute when dissolution of input in the environment e-ceeds the decomposition, dispersal, or recycling capabilities. "hese enhanced to-ics from anthropogenic inputs not only alter the natural fresh waters, but also have detrimental effects whose impact can be felt for long time. "he looming environmental crisis is due to the non biodegradable materials used for making such idols and also the fact that the number of idols has gone up dramatically over the years implies that the concentration of such materials will increase in our natural resources. $fter e-amining the water before and after immersion the scientists found that the concentration of substances like calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and silicon concentrations increased significantly. $lso, it was found that concentrations of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury had increased. 1etals 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. $ ,oint survey by the West +engal !ollution /ontrol +oard and Indian "o-icology 4esearch Institute found that each gram of colour used for painting the goddess has a high

#uantity of lead, ranging from 5 to *3 micrograms. 6It should ideally be zero. )ven in our body, zero micrograms per deciliter is the permissible limit for lead,7 a committee member said. 8

A" (EA52 $ETA'S "he rampant use of harmful paints on idols during (urga !u,a and $nant /haturthi and the culmination of a ten day long .anesh festival have triggered the fear of a health hazard and environmental pollution all across the country. Instead of traditional eco friendly colours, harmful chemical paints are used in most of these idols (lead, cadmium and chrome). 'eavy metals like lead, cadmium and chrome are not easily assimilated in an a#uatic environment and this leads to contamination of water bodies there by affecting various fish and prawn species. +esides polluting the water, they reach humans via the food chain when humans consume the fish and other sea food. 'igh levels of lead and other heavy metals can damage the heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory and central nervous system. Table /: Changes in Con&entration (mg6l) of some &hemi&al pollutants after idol immersion in +ater bodies7 Chemi&al #ollutants /alcium 1agnesium 1olybdenum ?ilicon $rsenic Iron @ead 1ercury $ean Con&entration before Con&entration after Con&entration In Immersion of Idols Immersion of Idols 3ater 82.*9 9:.;; 5<.9= ;.;<2 5.2>3 *3.38= 3.3>3 3.*9> 3.2:9= :.2:; 8.>29 :.<85== 3.*89 3.*8* 3.9>; 3.8*8 3.*82 3.88== 3.8<> 3.:2* 3.92== 3.5<> 3.22: 3.;;<== Threshold 'imit 5alue (T'5)8: !T'59:":/; !!T'59:":<

'eavy metals like lead and chrome are not easily assimilated in an a#uatic environment and can lead to the massive hurt of flora and fauna of the river, pond, lake and coastal areas. $s the same river, pond and lake water is used for bathing and drinking purpose high levels of lead can damage the heart, kidneys, liver,
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circulatory system and central nervous system, the environmentalist warned. "o-ic heavy metals are the cause of memory loss, increased allergic reactions, high blood pressure, depression, mood swings, irritability, poor concentration, aggressive behavior, sleep disabilities, fatigue, speech disorders, high blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, vascular occlusion, neuropathy, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue and many other deadly diseases.2

%" #'ASTE. 4F #A.IS "he growing size of idols and the desire for making them more and more colourful has forced idol makers to shift from clay to !laster of !aris as the base material. "he increased use of !laster of !aris is done because it is more malleable, dries faster and is stronger as compared to clay. Immersion of hundreds and thousands of idols made of this material is wreaking havoc on these water bodies. !laster of !aris is a building material based on /alcium ?ulphate 'emihydrates, and is created by heating .ypsum to about *23A/. It is the same material that is used for making casts for broken bones. When an idol made of !laster of !aris is immersed in the water, it changes form to gypsum, thus adding a large amount of material to the water that breaks down very slowly, while adding to the hardness of water, both of which deteriorate the life carrying capacity and #uality of the water. it is an insoluble powder and contaminates water bodies by forming an impermeable layer on the bottom of pond or lake. "he ma,or e-posure route is through inhalation, ingestion, skin and eye contact and common symptoms are watering of eyes, skin irritation, and trouble in breathing incessant coughing affecting organs like eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

EFFECTS 4* 3ATE. =,A'IT2 "he water bodies are in a very poor state every year after .anesh and (urga pu,a is over. $long with idols flowers, banana leaves, coconuts etc are immersed in various water bodies, resulting in alarming increase in pollution levels. It is mainly caused by dissolution of wastes coming from silting of clay, !laster

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of !aris and the cheap to-ic coloured paints (chemical dyes), painted on the idols which comes in contact with water. Once these idols are immersed, the clay along with !laster of !aris (/alcinated .ypsum) slowly dissolve and accumulate at the bottom of the water body, whereas the to-ic paints form a thin film on the surface of water. "his cuts down the o-ygen supply for a#uatic animals and fish as decomposition of organic wastes uses o-ygen in water making it impossible for a#uatic animals to survive. Table >: Impa&t of various items on a?uati& environment during idol immersion @ S" *o" / >" $aterial Contributed by Immersion !laster of !aris (ecoration material viz. clothes, Impa&t on the A?uati& %ody Increases dissolved solids, contribute metals and sludge. /ontributes ?uspended !articulate 1atters (?!1), trace metals (Binc, @ead, Iron, /hromium, $rsenic, 1ercury, etc.), metalloids and various organic and inorganic matter, oil and grease, etc. Increase floating suspended matter, organic

polish, paint, ornaments, cosmetic items. 7" Clowers, garlands, oily substances

contamination, oil and grease and various organic 8" <" +amboo sticks, beauty articles !olythene bags D plastic items and inorganic matter. !ieces float in water or settle at the river bottom inhabiting river flow. /ontribute suspended matter, settled matter and hazardous material to water and choke the a#uatic life. /ontribute oil and grease, organics to water bodies.

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"he measured parameters of water #uality standard show marked deviations from the established standards. (ata collection and analysis was done for chemical and biological parameters. It showed that p' of water increased after the immersion of idols i.e. it led to acidification of the waters. "here was a substantial increase in the "otal (issolved ?olids ("(?) content. "he "(? increased by nearly *33E after the immersion.; "he o-ygen levels in the 1umbai water bodies fall by about 23E immediately after the *3 day .anesh utsav festival. "he result of a scientific study done on 'ussain ?agar lake in $ndhra
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!radesh shows that in the water before and after immersion, scientists found that the concentration of substances like calcium, magnesium, silicon concentrations increased significantly. $lso concentration of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury had increased. Water soluble to-ic organic paints resulted in depletion of (issolved O-ygen ((O) < in these ancient ponds. "his deprives fish and other a#uatic inhabitants of o-ygen. "he impact was more than three trucks load of dead fish found floating on the surface of water. It not only led to water pollution but indirectly air was also polluted due to foul smell of dead fish. "he other impacts of such pollution are notably color, turbidity, taste, odor etc. $fter such disasters we #uestion our civic and administration authorities that should we allow immersion of idols in water body and deprive ourselves of fresh water, a scare commodity (3.33:E of hydrosphere). In terms of health impacts, paints are a greater source of hazard and most of those used for decorating idols are chemical based. "hey contain heavy metals like 1ercury, /admium and @ead, which are neuroto-in and nephroto-in. "hese metals are bio accummulative, implying that once they enter marine life forms like fishF they pass up the food chain and end up in the food that we eat. Incidentally, the brighter the colour, the greater is its to-icity. 4ed, blue, orange and green colours are known to have higher content of mercury, zinc o-ide, chromium, and lead. /oncentration of $rsenic, a no-ious trace element, increase nine fold as compared to +I? and I/14 standards, in water bodies after idol immersions every year.

$fter lot of hue and cry made by public and environmentalist the civic authorities decided to clean this old water reservoirs and they removed tones of mud, clay and plaster of paris from these water bodies ,ust before the monsoons. With good monsoons these reservoirs received good amount of fresh water. +ut to the utter surprise the same old story was repeated during the festival of .anesh and (urga pu,a when

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permission was given to immerse the idols this year and thereby polluting the water bodies once again. $lthough 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. !oliticians are afraid of taking tough actions as they are afraid of upsetting the public as this is a religious issue. It is essential to put in place laws to make it compulsory to make idols out of eco friendly materials.

AI. #4'',TI4* $ir pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a growing cause for concern. "he 4espirable ?uspended !articulate 1atter (4?!1) in dust, fumes, smoke, and gases is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. "his level sees a #uantum ,ump during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammable substances, and artificial colors. "he burning of 4avana during (ussehra festival increases the air pollution due to evolution of smoke from fire crackers and burning idols. "he main to-ics which are discharged in to the atmosphere are O-ides of %itrogen (%O-), O-ides of ?ulphur (?o-), acidic gases, hydrocarbons, O-ides of /arbon (/O and /O 8) compounds etc. !articulate dispersal also increases the pollution load in air. /rackers are sometimes manufactured using barium sulphate, sodium nitrate, sulphur and potassium chlorate. When burnt during (iwali and other festivals, they emit gases such as sulphur dio-ide, o-ides of nitrogen, o-ides of heavy metals and particulate matter that pollute the air and cause eye irritation, respiratory disorders and allergies.

"he seemingly harmless, 6pleasing to eye7 colourful sparkles are synthetic and to-ic because of the presence of cheap materials like mica, acids, alkalis and pieces of glass, which not only induce skin disorders like abrasion, irritation, itching but can also cause respiratory problems and even cancer. ?tudies by the /entre for ?cience and )nvironment (/?)) around (elhi conclude that in 833<, 4?!1 levels during (iwali doubled compared to8335. $ /handigarh !ollution /ontrol /ommittee (/!//) study last year showed a 35 *3E percent increase in air pollution during (iwali.

In a survey of ambient air #uality during Gali !u,a and (iwali days in 8339 the levels of nitrogen and sulpher dio-ides were much higher than any normal day. "he total ?uspended !articulate 1atter (?!1) and 4espirable !articulate 1atter (4!1) e-ceeded the permissible limit on (iwali in 8339 and 833:. Table 7: Comparison of Ambient Air =uality on Di+ali during >::@ A >::B C #arameter (ug6m7) ?!1 4!1 .e&ording in >::@ 895 *:: .e&ording in >::B 89: *8> *ormal residential standard 833 *33

"he impact of these air pollutants is wide spread. "hey alter visibilityF affect human health and vegetation in many ways. $ir pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children. ?uspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disease %ulfur dio$ide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like whee&ing and shortness of breath. '$ides of (itrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory problems in children.

Chemicals used in crackers like )ead, *agnesium, Cadmium, (itrate, %odium and others cause mental retardation and act as en&yme inhibitors. +,

/learly environmental groups and eco clubs are fighting a losing battle. "hey come up with awareness campaigns and slogans like 6(iwali is a festival of lights, not crackers7, 6celebrate an eco sensitive (iwali this year7, but nobody seems to take notice. "he ?tate !ollution /ontrol +oards have given a wide publicity to the ?upreme /ourt&s direction on the use of fireworks only between 5.33 a.m. and *3.33 p.m. through electronic and print media. In addition, re#uest made to the cellular operators for sending an

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awareness message 6?ay %o to /rackers7. /elebrate (eepavali with lamps, candles and fireworks.& to their customers have also been made, with the hope of creating awareness.

I$#ACT 4* AI. =,A'IT2 STA*DA.DS // $ir #uality is known to suffer every time the festive season draws close. $ccording to the /entral !ollution /ontrol +oard (/!/+), the concentration of air pollutants ?ulphur dio-ide (?O 8) and %itrogen dio-ide

(%O8) increases massively during this period. While the average concentration of sulphur dio-ide and nitrogen dio-ide recorded is 3; ugDm: and >* ugDm:, a startling *3 ugDm: and *3* ugDm: is recorded after the festive season. "his means a considerable increase in air pollution. H"he ma-imum fire crackers are burst because of @anka (ahan. "he increase is air pollution is not an unusual phenomenon as every year during (ussehra the air pollution increases manifold due to this. $s a result, public health is known to suffer.H Other air pollutants also record an increase. "he 4espirable ?uspended !articulate 1atter (4?!1) also sees a record ,ump. 4?!1 increases from the average concentrations of 8*: ugDm : to :*3 ugDm: by the end of the festive season.

'AC,*AE I* T(E 'A3 It is high time our policy makers shrug off concerns of hurting religious sentiments by enforcing certain regulations during festivities. It will lead to disastrous results if we are continue to play with our environment and disturb the natural balance when we know that India is rated as one of the most polluted countries of the world. Waste management, waste segregation and control have to be initiated at all levels and the public must be made aware of how to dispose domestic wastes. $ total ban on all festival e-tremities is not the answer. 4ules and regulations should be imposed on festive activities which have drastic impact on our environment. "his will help us to address an ever growing problem of pollution in and around our cities and localities. "he government, %.Os, and the education system along with public awareness campaigns have to contribute towards tackling this fast spreading problem. !ollutants are produces by natural ecosystems as

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well as by human beings in form of agricultural and industrial activity. $s the twentieth century comes to close the sheer volume of wastes has increased manifold. "here is no way to curtail the pollution entirely, but there are many ways to cut the amount of pollution and reduce the harmful impact. !ollution control must receive some high priority and government should be encouraged to devise a clear and effective policy formulation for pollution abatement. $lso ?tate !ollution /ontrol +oards should be instructed to frame guidelines banning the immersion of idols containing hazardous paints or plaster of !aris in public water bodies. .reater public awareness along with development of legal and regulatory framework backed by strong public opinion would be necessary to bring about substitution. "he problem has to be treated under the $ir (!revention and /ontrol of !ollution) $ct *><* and )nvironment (!rotection) $ct *><5 and certain directives have to be passed to that effect. "hough it is still upto the !olice and local administration to implement it the right direction. but at least the legal steps have to be taken in

T(E .E$EDIES We need to have laws enforcing prevention of air and water pollution. If needed, cases are to be fought in the /ourts to prevent further misuse during festivities. "he legal fraternity needs to come forward and accept their responsibility in this regard. $broad, in countries like IG, several laws and steps have constantly been taken to ensure celebrations don&t cause large scale havoc. Cor e-ample, it was seen in )ngland on and around +onfire %ight (%ovember 2th), there is often a noticeable increase in pollution from particulates and dio-ins. $ppro-imately *9E of IG dio-in emissions are produced around bonfire night most of this coming from bonfires and fireworks. $uthorities have recognized that fireworks are the cause of noise and air pollution. "he following rules have been put into place under Cireworks 4egulation 8339 *8 in )ngland. It prohibits anyone under +- from possessing fireworks, and anyone e$cept professionals from possessing display fireworks.
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These regulations also prohibit the use of fireworks at night .++pm/0am1 in 2ngland and "ales, with e$tensions for the following festivals3

4ntil +am following the first day of Chinese (ew 5ear 'n (ovember 6th until +7am 4ntil +am on the day following Diwali day 4ntil +am on the day following December 8+st

.ET,.* T4 EC4DFESTI5A'S (o all our festivals and celebrations have to be at the cost of our environment, health and lifeJ %oK /@)$% India has these simple, cheap yet beautiful environment and human friendly suggestions with which we can celebrate our festivalsL 9eligiously only metal, stone or unbaked clay idols are worshipped. Idols made of metal or stone are best as they can be worshipped every year. %ome people sprinkle a little water on the idols as symbolic immersion. If idols have to be immersed make sure they are made of unbaked mud or clay. Do not buy idols painted with chemical colours or those having non:biodegradable material .thermocol, plastic, etc1 as decorations. %maller clay idols can be immersed in clean water in a vessel at home. )eave for sometime and when clay mi$es with water give it to your plants, especially Tulsi. 'r simply place the clay idols in a potted plant. The clay from the idol will mi$ with soil gradually when the plant is watered. 5ou can even make idols yourself by using clay or mud from your home. 'r make dough using turmeric powder or flour and make symbolic shapes of idols and worship.

%uch idols can be coloured using natural colours like haldi, chandan, kesar, kumkum etc. ;lowers and other biodegradable material used in worship may be used for mulching by spreading them on the top soil around plants or trees. They can also be composted.

?imilar stringent laws are re#uired to be passed and implemented in India, in order to ensure that festivities are in proper concordance with acceptable environmental standards.

C4*C',SI4* Cestivals like .anesh /haturthi, (urga !u,a, (iwali, and 'oli are occasions for great ,oy and celebration. +ut unfortunately they also add an even greater load to our already polluted air and water. +ut all our festivals and celebrations do not have to be at the cost of degrading our environment and ,eopardizing personal health. ?imple measures can be taken to ensure that Indian festivals become environment and human friendly. "he government, police, pollution control boards are suggesting many alternative ways to celebrate festivals which does not pollute the environment. )ven strict and stringent warnings are also given to public to refrain from purchasing 0to-ic& idols and bursting harmful crackers. +ut it is all solely depend on the 6change of mind7. ?ome suggestions regarding reduction of water pollution are M %tone idols are worshipped. Idols made of stone are best as they can be worshipped every year. %prinkling a little water on the idols as symbolic immersion is a common practice in many households. Immerse only those idols which are made of unbaked mud, clay or other biodegradable material. <voiding manufacture and purchase of idols painted with chemical colours or those made with non: biodegradable material .thermocol, plastic, plaster of paris etc1. %maller clay idols can be immersed in clean water in a vessel at home. )eave for sometime and when clay mi$es with water give it to your plants,

lace the clay idols in a potted plant. The clay from the idol will mi$ with soil gradually when the plant is watered.

Idols can be coloured using natural colours like haldi, chandan, kesar, kumkum, etc, which are biodegradable and do not cause persistent pollution after immersion.

;lowers and other biodegradable material used in worship may be used for mulching by spreading them on the top soil around plants or trees. They can also be composted.

In order to tackle avoid air pollutionL ;ireworks and colours must be bought from registered sources who sell non:to$ic products. Items containing harmful chemicals should be avoided strictly. 9egulate manufacture, purchase as well as use of harmful crackers. <void letting off fireworks in unsuitable weather. Cloudy and misty weather implies air #uality will be worsened by bursting of crackers.

$s the twentieth century comes to close the sheer volume of wastes has increased manifold. "here is no way to curtail the pollution entirely, but there are many ways to cut the amount of pollution and reduce the harmful impact. !ollution control must receive some high priority and government should be encouraged to devise a clear and effective policy formulation for pollution abatement. $lso state pollution control board should be instructed to frame guidelines banning the immersion of idols containing hazardous paints or plaster of !aris in public use water bodies.

.reater public awareness along with development of legal *: and regulatory framework backed by strong public opinion would be necessary to bring about substitution. It is estimated that one liter of waste water pollutes eight liters of fresh water. If this is the rate the day is not far when we are deprived of fresh water all together. "he .overnment has the responsibility to implement strict regulation of environmental

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standards during festivities. +ut society at large must also share this burden of keeping the environment clean and healthy. 'et us taEe the initiative and ensure a less polluted festival season