India, March 15 -- A community Holi bonfire, launched as a green initiative, spread joy and camaraderie in a Kurla neighbourhood, while bringing residents closer and raising awareness about the planet's vulnerability.

Called 'Ek Nagar, Ek Holi', it was the brainwave of five local residents of Kurla's Nehru Nagar - the idea was to minimise the number of individual Holi bonfires in the neighbourhood by burning just one for all, thus significantly reducing wood consumption and air pollution.

The idea was a hit. Twenty two housing societies joined the initiative, leading to a collective Holika Dahan (Holi bonfire) that saved 500kg of wood. Instead of freshly cut wood, residents used old and discarded furniture for the fire, thereby reducing...