The SwitchON Foundation, in association with BengalCAN (Clean Air Network), will host a virtual creativity competition to celebrate smoke-free Diwali. Registration is open till October 30.
The theme of the competition is ‘Encouraging people to have a smoke-free Diwali’. School and college students can submit sketches, paintings, rangoli, photographs, poems and stories, each with a message for safe and smoke-free Diwali.
Entries are to be posted on Facebook with hashtags #SmokeFreeDiwali and #BengalCan. Participants must not forget to tag SwitchON India.
All participants will receive a certificate of participation and the most innovative creations will win exciting prizes. The results will be announced on November 4.
Participants will have to register for the competition via https://bit.ly/bcan-sfd.
SwitchON Foundation is an environment conservation society established in 2008 and is registered as a non-governmental organization. It works primarily in West Bengal for equitable and sustainable development. The organisation was started by a group of youths.
BengalCAN or Bengal Clean Air Network promotes awareness about the cause and effects of air pollution. The organisation aims to make West Bengal free of pollution by conducting community projects, bringing change in behaviour and policy advocacy.
The organisers cited AIIMS director Randeep Gulleria’s observation that even a one-point increase in PM 2.5 level this winter could lead to a 6-7% rise in COVID-19 cases.
BengalCAN had written to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting a ban on firecrackers in West Bengal during Kali Puja and Diwali.
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board has banned all firecrackers this Diwali. Only “green” fire crackers can be burst at a specified time.