Even as Gurugram’s air quality index (AQI) slipped dangerously close to the red zone on Diwali night following the Supreme Court’s relaxation on the NCR firecracker ban, several city residents and housing societies chose to celebrate the festival differently, by embracing sustainability and promoting the theme of a “Green Diwali, Safe Diwali.”
While fireworks and dense smog dominated parts of the city, many communities focused on environment-friendly festivities and local empowerment. Some resident welfare associations (RWAs) encouraged residents to buy traditional diyas directly from local artisans instead of ordering mass-produced decorative items online.
In Ardee City, Sector 52, residents undertook a pre-Diwali cleanliness drive across their neighbourhood. “Just as we cleaned our houses, we also cleaned our societies,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, RWA president. “The drive extended to nearby vacant plots, which were also cleaned by the residents,” she added.
At Vipul Lavanya Society in Sector 81, residents celebrated a plastic-free Diwali this year. Women from the society led an initiative to promote eco-friendly practices by using clay diyas, fabric buntings, and bamboo lighting instead of plastic decorations. The society adopted the RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) concept as its central theme, decorating homes with cloth torans and floral rangoli to blend sustainability with tradition.
Resident Satya Sahay said the society also promoted reusing last year’s decorations. “We carefully washed the old diyas and used them again this year, embracing sustainability in our celebrations,” she said.
In Imperial Gardens, RWA president Sunil Sareen said residents consciously followed Supreme Court guidelines on firecracker use. “We appealed to everyone to avoid bursting firecrackers, and those who did were asked to do so in a vacant plot away from residential blocks. This was done keeping in mind the safety of children, pets, and to avoid fire hazards,” he said.
Meanwhile, Supriya Malhotra, a resident of Sector 46, shared that their colony organised a donation drive for underprivileged children. “Clothes were redistributed as part of the initiative. It was our way of spreading joy and sending out a meaningful message during Diwali,” she said.
As the city struggled with post-festive air pollution, these small but significant citizen-led initiatives stood out as examples of conscious celebration and social responsibility, locals said.