As traders complain of a significant drop in the sale of firecrackers this year with people scaling down Diwali celebrations in the wake of cyclone and floods, environmentalists see a positive side to the trend.

Environmentalist said subdued Diwali is good news for the environment. "The reduced sale of crackers would mean less air pollution and less toxic left-overs for water," said environmentalist Biswajit Mahanty.