'Dry' Holi celebrations at Cuffe Parade

Residents of Cuffe Parade celebrated a waterless Holi and avoided using toxic colours to protect the environment. The residents had been urging people to save water and avoid using plastic during the celebrations.

The Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) has been aggressively campaigning against the use of plastic in their locality. CPRA, which houses 49 buildings with 4,500 flats in both old and new Cuffe Parade area, celebrated Holi peacefully with senior citizens and children.

Kokilaben Ambani and Tina Ambani paid a visit to the Holika Dahan gathering on Thursday.

"We have been urging the residents to celebrate Holi without water for the past 15 days. The celebrations were peaceful and the residents co-operated with us and only used natural colours. No plastic was used either and we are glad we managed to conduct the event successfully," said Padmakar Nandekar, Secretary General, CPRA.

"Our well wishers visited us and appreciated our initiative," he said.

Satish Bharucha, a local, said, "Every year we ensure that Holi is celebrated in an eco-friendly manner. Harming the environment amounts to harming humans, so we ensure that children stay away from toxic colours and save water, too."