Sustainable is the word this Diwali

Mumbai: Following the ban on plastic, people across the state are batting for sustainable alternatives and Diwali is no exception. With the festival of lights just round the corner, markets are choc-a-bloc with lanterns made of cloth, bamboo-chatai, ice-cream sticks and other eco-friendly materials.

Given the popularity of these lanterns, artists from different parts of the state have come to the city to make and sell these lanterns and are getting a good response from customers.

“There were very few eco-friendly options but these new bamboo-chatai lanterns are attractive. They come in different designs and also create interesting light patterns,” said Santosh Kotare from Kala Chowkie.

Earlier, lanterns made of plastic, paper and cloth were available in the market but post the ban on plastic, the search for alternative materials seems to have ended with bamboo-chatai. Pooja Mayekar, a lantern retailer at Ranade Road, Dadar, said that the bamboo chatai is used to make lantern panels which are then covered with coloured paper.

The lanterns cost anywhere between Rs 60 and Rs 450 depending on the size, with bigger ones selling for around Rs 750 per piece.

A few retailers expressed the view that since the opposition to Chinese lanterns increased last year, they started stocking more cloth and other lanterns.