Dia Mirza asks people to make Diwali greener
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Mumbai: Bollywood actress and entrepreneur Dia Mirza has been a vocal advocate of sustainability and bettering the environment. She recently encouraged people to celebrate Diwali without harming the planet.
The UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals will be celebrating an environment-friendly Diwali. "For me, Diwali and in fact every festival is an opportunity to create joyful memories at home with the people closest to me. Now that I am a mother, I make sure that my children feel included in all the festivities, creating the fondest memories that I had the privilege of experiencing as a child. We are also great foodies and very house-proud so as always, there will be a special emphasis on cooking a delicious meal and decorating the house together."
She said it is especially important to care for the planet as our consumption patterns are exerting enormous pressure on the earth. "The health of our children and their future depends on how we treat the environment today, what we invest in it or take away from it."
She asked people to plant more trees, give sustainable gifts, use solar lights or earthen diyas, and focus on minimising waste. "Diwali to me represents the light of awareness, an enlightened consciousness, and the dispersion of ignorance. It symbolises a return to a sense of hope, balance, and goodness within us and around us."
She added that curbing the pollution levels and toxicity is key to preventing extreme weather events and occurrences of unbreathable air. "I hope this Diwali, we choose differently and give back to the earth that showers us with so much abundance, every single day."
Speaking on traditions, she said, "our ancient traditions have taught us to worship Nature and yet we vitiate it even more on festive occasions by bursting crackers and generating huge amounts of waste for the planet to process." She added that a festival with such a broad meaning has now just been reduced to a debate about firecrackers.
