Tezpur: Although the bursting of firecrackers is common during the Deepawali celebrations, people of a remote village in Assam have been celebrating a silent Deepawali for the last seven years.
The reason behind choosing silence over sounds to celebrate the Festival of Lights by villagers of Gopal Jaroni is their love for wildlife. Located on the fringe area of the 6th edition of the Kaziranga National Park, the people of Gopal Jaroni had not been bursting crackers to ensure that the wildlife in the neighbouring Kaziranga didn't get affected by the noise and accompanied pollution.
"The people of our village had been living in harmony with the animals of the Kaziranga National Park. We have not been bursting any firecrackers for the last seven years to ensure that the wildlife is not disturbed due to the sound and air pollution," said Basudev Kutum, a villager and the president of the Kaziranga Eco-development Society.
"There are several reasons behind our decision not to burst firecrackers. While the firecrackers lead to air and sound pollution that affects wildlife, we have also noticed poachers make use of the noise to kill animals during the Deepawali festival," Kutum said, adding that being located close to such a biodiversity hotspot it was their responsibility to ensure wildlife safety.
Gopal Jaroni, located five km off Kaziranga, has 1,000 dwellers who vowed not to consign a single firecracker to flames.
Like other parts of the country, Deepawali is one of the most celebrated festivals in Assam which includes lighting the diyas, distribution of sweets and bursting of firecrackers with friends and family to celebrate the occasion that symbolises the victory of good over evil.
Although the pollution control boards issue restrictions to limit the sound and pollution caused by firecrackers, there are hardly any takers.
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