As much of India, including Delhi, woke up to toxic air on Deepavali, with the capital’s AQI plunging to “very poor,” a few villages in Tamil Nadu are offering a striking contrast, showing how festivals can be celebrated responsibly.

In Vettangudi village of Sivaganga district, this mindful approach has been a tradition for nearly five decades. “These villagers decided not to burst crackers to safeguard migratory birds,” Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Tamil Nadu government, told PTI .

Village champions quiet celebration

With the debate over “green” crackers reaching a fevered pitch in the days leading up to Deepavali, Sahu’s post on X, and the accompanying video made by the Forest Department documenting Vettangudi’s journey, showed t

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