Diwali is one of the awaited festival seasons in the country
and is celebrated with warmth and passion as the whole country lights up during
the entire festival. Covered in colorful lights and diyas, the streets and
surroundings showcase a sight to behold on the eve of Diwali. The festival of
Lights, celebrated in many ways, bring together family members, relatives and
friends.
Every year, while this festival adds glow to our lives every year, it does raise some concerns as well. The major and the long prevalent matter of concern has been the air pollution, which is always on rise during the Diwali festival season. The prime reason being fireworks and crackers. This Diwali, however, has a larger concern than only air pollution. With state governments and local authorities imposing ban on the sale of fire-crackers, the air pollution might as well stay low but the prevailing pandemic COVID-19 is still on the loose.
The excitement of Diwali can be quite understandable after
having celebrated many occasions in lockdowns or social distancing, nonetheless
it is imperative for us to be cautionary during the Diwali as well. Therefore,
as we chalk out our celebration plans instead of thinking about all the things
that won’t be happening because of the pandemic we should rather focus on the
things to do in order to keep this Diwali happy and safe. Here are some factors
for you to keep in mind while celebrating Diwali this year.
1.
Remember
and follow COVID-19 precautions: One often becomes careless and irregular
when following a routine for far too long, however, it is important for us to
remind ourselves of the reason for following it in the first place. As Diwali
nears, social and family gatherings would increase, meaning more people
together at one place. Therefore, at such a situation we must try and ensure
social distancing between one another. Also, putting on masks should be one of
the primary concerns and one should kindly suggest the others to do the same,
in case they aren’t.
2. Avoid sanitizers and other inflammatory
products: During the festival of lights, we are usually surrounded by
various candles and diyas placed at almost every corner. The COVID-19 had made
hand-sanitizers mandatory for the populace, which are commonly carried by
almost everyone. With the sanitizers present in abundance, there’s always a
risk of them catching or coming in contact with fire. Considering their
inflammatory nature, it is advised to keep the sanitizers and stuff out of
reach and make use of alternative sources.
3. Avoid crackers: Saying no to crackers during Diwali is
important in so many ways. With the weather turning colder, Carbon particles
from fumes and chemical vapors from firecrackers get stuck in the mist, which may
aggravate the pre-existing allergic condition or stick to nostrils for a long
period, aggravating Allergic Rhinitis; trigger asthma and bronchitis attack. These
things are bound to affect one’s lungs, which would certainly promote a spike
in Covid-19 cases and an increase in mortality during and after Diwali.
Therefore, firecrackers should be avoided at all costs.
4. Wash Hands with water instead of
sanitizing: As mentioned before, sanitizers are inflammatory and any
exposure to fire during the festival may increase the chances of hands burning
or catching fire. Thus, during the Diwali season one must prefer washing their
hands instead of using sanitizers.
5. Avoid eating from the outside: Sweets
and variety of delicacies is another prime reason for the excitement around
this festival. With the pandemic still looming at large, it is best to avoid
consuming any eatables from the outside to reduce any chances of infection. Therefore,
we advise you to eat at home and try new recipes to celebrate your festival to
the fullest and also help contain the spread of the deadly pandemic.
