VISAKHAPATNAM: Despite the ongoing SSC examinations, the city is all geared up to celebrate Holi on Wednesday and Thursday, March 20 and 21.Of late, the festival has no longer been restricted to just north Indian communities as people from different communities and religion in the Port City enthusiastically participate in the festivities.The environment-conscious youth have also given a call for limiting wastage of water and throwing colours on animals. In what can be termed as a positive trend, most people are choosing natural eco-friendly colours to celebrate Holi in the city.As part of the celebrations, rain dances have been planned at some venues along the Beach Road , while some youth organisations are planning to celebrate the festival with children from orphanages and residents of old age homes. Vivek Rathod, from the organisation Trendsetters said, “We are planning to visit an old age home or an orphanage this weekend to celebrate Holi with the residents of the homes. We will get them colours and some stationery useful to them.”A Holi beach party, powered by APTDC along with a local organiser, is to be held at Rushikonda. Rain dance, beach party, food and beverage stalls, DJ music, colour bombs, Zumba dance and gaming activities are part of the festivities. Besides, other rain dance and beach parties are taking place along the Beach Road.Shalom Teresa, an environmental science student from Andhra University, said she loves playing holi with her friends but uses eco-friendly natural colours in powder form to avoid wastage of water. “People should not play with wet chemical colours along the Beach Road as the harmful colour will mingle with the sea. They should also not spray colours on animals such as dogs, cattle and cats as the colours can cause irritation to their skin,” she said.

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