Diwali is a festival which is cherished by all, young and old everyone rejoices together to enjoy this special day. It is a mark of victory of light over darkness, and the triumphant rerun of Lord Rama back to his home, after defeating Ravan. But, due to the corona pandemic things have changed a lot, while a lot of people are vaccinated already, some have only taken one dose while a few are still completely unvaccinated. Children especially are still at risk, we need to ensure that we enjoy and celebrate Diwali but exercise caution too. Here are few tips on how to celebrate Diwali safely at home:

1. Take care of elderly people

Diwali is full of lights, diyas and firecrackers. But among these three, firecrackers also cause nose and air pollution. Eventually, they also lead to land pollution the next day. People need to be very careful to not burn too much firecrackers, as this may lead to heavy air pollution which always happens during festive season. The polluted air, along with toxic and harmful smokes of sulfur, magnesium and phosphorus form the firecrackers are extremely dangerous for people with respiratory problems, and can make folks more prone to Corona virus. Elderly people need to stay indoors to reduce exposure from polluted air.

2. Never forget wearing a mask

Always wear a mask, even if you're vaccinated completely. Mask will hinder the spread of coronavirus and at the same time, prevent to an extent the pollutants form entering your nose.

3. Avoid using sanitizers

Don't use sanitizers while your lightning diyas or firecrackers, as the alcohol content in them lingers for a few seconds before vaporizing completely form your hands, alcohol attracts fire and any close contact with fire a can burn your bad.

4. Always keep a bucket of water while burning crackers

Always make sure to have a bucket of water in place for every 2 people, so the more people you have burning firecrackers, the more bucket of water you'll need. This ensures that you don't run out of water in an emergency.

5. Use soap and water to wash hands

Instead of using sanitizers outside, use soap and water to wash your hands. It is much safer option to clean your hands when the fire element is around.

6. Young children, elderly and pregnant women to be given extra care

Young children, elderly and pregnant women need to be extra careful to not stay very close to firecrackers as they can accidentally burn, and the smoke released from them is especially dangerous for those with elderly or comprised immune system.

7. Maintain social distancing to avoid the spread of Coronavirus 

 As always, maintain proper social distance and greet everyone with a namaste. As seen before, the corona cases roses swiftly after festive season, and we need to make sure we learn form our mistake this time.