Diwali around the corner and with festive fervour in the air, the students of one Panchkula school are saying ‘yes’ to a special kind of crackers this year — ones that can be planted.
Obtained through KJF India, a manufacturer based in Gurgaon, Haryana, the cracker bombs that were supplied to students of The Gurukul in Panchkula’s Sector 20 are all designed to resemble traditional-looking firecrackers like rockets, ground spinners, bombs, flower pots.
Each cracker lookalike is stuffed with manure and seeds and once planted and watered, will grow into a flowering plant. The seed cracker initiative, the first-of-its-kind in the region, officials said, was an attempt to encourage people to celebrate Diwali in a pollution-free manner while not burning a hole in their pockets while doing so.
According to details, the school has distributed the special handcrafted seed crackers among its students free of cost as a way of going green this Diwali.
“These crackers look like traditional bombs, flower pots, rockets and ground spinners. However, once planted they will sprout into different plants like marigold, basil, and sunflower. The seed crackers are made of handmade paper which is 100% bio-degradable. They will neither cause any noise and air pollution nor harm the environment in any other way. They are 100% eco-friendly and will not burn a hole in the pocket of parents buying them,” said Sanjay Thareja, director of The Gurukul.
As per details, each green cracker that was handed out to the students contains some seed and some manure. The cracker has to be broken into two parts. The outer cover, which is completely bio-degradable, needs to be planted in a pit prepared for sowing the plant and covered with some loose soil. The second part, which contains the seed and the manure, are then to be emptied out in the pit and covered with loose soil. The pit needs to be watered regularly and kept moist till it sprouts.
On Thursday, the students of The Gurukul took part in demonstration sessions, where they were shown how exactly to plant their green crackers.
Thareja said, “’Saying no to crackers has always been the Diwali motto of our school. However, this time we have changed the slogan to ‘Say Yes to Crackers’, for all good reasons and with all good intentions. I feel educational institutions should groom students under their care to become responsible, sensitive and proactive individuals. This green cracker Diwali celebration is a small step by us in that direction.”