SAY NO TO CRACKERS!!!

CHILDREN PLEA FOR A POLLUTION FREE DIWALI

Office goers were treated to an unusual sight on Monday morning on Peddar Road.

Over 100 students from Villa Theresa High School stood on the pavements of the busy Peddar Road on Monday morning, holding big banners and placards and with stickers on their uniforms, pleading for a pollution free Diwali. They urged passers-by and motorists not to burn fire crackers this Diwali. The children are part of Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness which is a forum of school children in Mumbai, founded on the belief that children are the most powerful messengers of change.

More rallies will be held in other parts of the city over the next few days:

Andheri, D.N. Road 17th October
Chembur Diamond Garden 18th October
Matunga 19th October
Powai Hiranandani gardens 20th October
Marine Drive 20th October

Over 1000 children will be participating in these rallies, in an attempt to spread the message to the city of Mumbai.

Every year, CMCA Teacher volunteers speak to the children and get them to spread awareness about having a pollution free Diwali.

Children are told about the pollution caused by the fire crackers, in terms of noise, the air quality as well as the garbage the next morning. Children are also sensitised about child labour that is involved in the making of fire crackers.

Children are then asked to spread the message to others as well, in the city.

About us:

CMCA has been spearheading efforts to inculcate civic and environmental consciousness through Civic Clubs in schools. CMCA has thus far instituted more than 40 Civic Clubs in about 20 schools in Mumbai, including schools with under-privileged children and has reached out to more than 10,000 students - their homes, their friends and their neighbourhood through various campaigns.

CMCA Volunteers take sessions once a week in a given school, on civic & environmental issues and children are encouraged to spread the message to their friends, family members, etc. We thus hope for a ‘ripple effect’ in bringing about a better civic sense within the city.

Children from CMCA have spread awareness on various issues, including that of celebrating Ganpati in an eco-friendly manner, segregating garbage, saying no to plastic bags, etc.


CMCA was stated in 2000 by Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore and is currently present in Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad and Hosur too. In Mumbai, the Sophia College Ex-Students’ Association (SCESA) supports CMCA.

For more information, please visit www.cmcaindia.org / call Vinodini Lulla on 9820638439.

Diwali Rally – The festival was back round the corner, wherein people go ahead lighting up the city with crackers, diyas etc. Our motto this year was the same but with a stronger appeal and look to it.

School kids made the most out of this rally seeing to it that every passer by would notice the poster in some form or another. And that the word of having a safe and less noisy Diwali would be sent across.

The human chain was the eye catcher for any onlooker and having so many kids come together just made the whole rally all the more forceful.
Kids vouched to burst, comparatively lesser the amount of crackers. Thus help reduce pollution in any manner possible.

A Dream Of Diwali and disaster for our future.
A festival of light,
A day of darkness,
The happiness of crackers,
The sadness for our future.
Your happiness causes,the world's sorrow.
So are you still planning to burst crackers,
Cause if you are you just burning money.
Your happiness is momentary.
But the sorrow is forever.
Be a true citizen,
and celebrate a noiseless and cracker less diwali.
Work together for the environment,
then the environment will be with you.
You go against it,
It will go against you.
So you decide for yourself.
The actions are fun,
But consequence are heavy.
So go ahead and celebrate a cracker less and noiseless diwali,
And save the environment or,
Later you will have to save yourself.

Aishwarya .S
The Evolution Club. Hiranandani Foundation School (Powai)