One of the most colourful festivals that make India special, Ganesh Chathurthi, has just concluded with big celebrations, particularly in the cities. The Navratri season and Diwali are on the way, promising to light up the landscape with fireworks and lay out a carpet of vibrant rangoli. Every year, the national spirit is buoyed by these and other festivals. But municipal agencies and pollution control authorities have depressing news the day after because of the tide of solid waste and pollutants in smoke fouling up the environment. During the just-concluded Ganesh Chathurthi, Mumbai reported a collection of 508 tonnes of floral waste, and going by last year’s tally, solid waste could tip the scales at about 360........

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