A decade and half ago, 15-year-old Manoj Krishnakumar was eagerly waiting to join the kids of his neighbourhood to burst crackers on Diwali. His friends had already started the celebrations. Manoj was about to join them. Just then he noticed that traumatized by the noise, a pregnant stray dog had miscarried.

Moved by the incident, Manoj gave up bursting crackers. “I used to feed the stray dog regularly. She was like a pet to me. Her miscarriage made me voluntarily give up bursting crackers. It also made me realize how many birds and animals are being affected by the silly habit of bursting crackers,” Manoj says.

Now 30, Manoj continues to educate people on the effects crackers have on animals. Animals are territorial by nature. A slight change and disturbance in the natural environment can impact their routines, Manoj explains.

Manoj, instead of taking the usual NGO route, uses the social media to educate people on how bursting crackers can affect the animals. He is proud of the fact that this year alone there are about 500 people among his close friends and family who have chosen not to burst crackers and traumatize the animals.

Another crusader on a similar mission is city based animal lover Manav Mehta. Facebook is his weapon of choice. “It has been close to a decade since I touched crackers. I have more than a thousand friends on Facebook. I put up posts to create awareness on how bursting crackers can harm the animals,” Manav says. The city-based entrepreneur says that if his posts convince at least one person to give up bursting crackers, then he is more than just happy.