Now Reading: Bengaluru eco-activists urge balloon-free Independence Day celebrations
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Bengaluru eco-activists urge balloon-free Independence Day celebrations
Bengaluru eco-activists have revived their “No balloons please” campaign ahead of the 80th Independence Day, urging apartments, schools and families to avoid balloon decorations. Led by sustainability changemaker and writer Odette Katrak,…
The Story in Brief
Bengaluru eco-activists have revived their “No balloons please” campaign ahead of the 80th Independence Day, urging apartments, schools and families to avoid balloon decorations. Led by sustainability changemaker and writer Odette Katrak, the campaign points to balloon remnants contaminating soil and strings endangering animals. It recommends cloth, paper, flowers and crochet decorations instead.
Residents and community groups are already adopting alternatives. Caring Squares, a senior citizens’ group in Malleswaram, makes reusable tricolour crochet buntings. Organisers are also encouraging flower vendors to prepare tricolour garlands, creating an additional income source. Flowers can be composted, while cloth buntings can be stitched from waste fabric and paper decorations made from old newspapers and magazines.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy claim that an eco-friendly celebration must be dull does not fit the options being offered. Reusable fabric, crochet, flowers and household paper can keep the colour and reduce waste without banning festivity. Nor should one campaign be treated as proof that balloons are Bengaluru’s biggest environmental threat. Its practical test is simple: how many apartments, schools and families reuse decorations next year instead of discarding them after one day?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
