Deepavali should be observed with utmost safety, said district environment officer G R Ganeshan.
Speaking during an eco-friendly green Deepavali programme organised by the district administration at Government Junior College in Madikeri, he said, "Crackers result in pollution in the environment. The bursting of crackers from 10 pm to 6 am is banned. There is a need to burst green crackers. Everyone should adhere to the guidelines of the Supreme Court while bursting crackers."
CMC president Neravanda Anitha Poovaiah said, "Deepavali is a festival of lights. There is a need to observe eco-friendly Deepavali by lighting lamps."
She called upon the people to plant saplings in the surrounding areas.
Zilla Parisara Jagruthi Andolana district convener T G Premkumar said that there is a need to emphasise the observing of a green Deepavali without crackers.
District Scouts and Guides vice president K T Baby Mathew, District Government Employees' Association president Ponnacchana Srinivas and others were present.