Delhi under the grip of smog due to Diwali crackers

(Vatican Radio) On Sunday, India celebrated Diwali with lamps, candles, feasting and fireworks. The day after fireworks for the festival of lights, New Delhi was choked with a thick, dark smog.

On Wednesday, the air quality in Delhi and the National Capital region deteriorated further and the toxicity level recording a new high since Sunday, Diwali night. Air quality-monitoring agencies said the pollution level will remain 'severe' for the next couple of days due to adverse climatic conditions.

The celebrations sharply exacerbated the city's perpetual pollution problems — the BBC reported that in the wake of the fireworks, levels of extremely small particulate matter more than doubled over the course of a few hours.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Air Quality Index touched the figure of 494 on Wednesday, which comes under the 'severe' category. Its data showed that air quality at Anand Vihar was the worst in the national capital on Wednesday. The index stood at 445 on Monday and 389 on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the air quality had improved a little to 'very poor' category.

The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of the Ministry of Earth Science also painted a grim picture about pollution in the city. Its official said that pollution level in Delhi is set to remain 'severe' for a few more days, thanks to a drop in wind speed and temperature, and increase in humidity.

The BBC reports that by Monday, PM2.5 levels had exceeded 30 times the World Health Organization's recommendation for average daily exposure. Particulate Matter less than 10 micrometres in diameter (PM10) are so small that they can get into lungs, likely causing serious health problems. Particulate Matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) are more refined particles produced by burning fuels.

Residents of New Delhi were advised to remain indoors Monday, The Associated Press reported, with special cautions for the young, elderly and those with health problems.

Anumita Roychowdhury, the executive director of a New Delhi-based think tank called the Centre for Science and Environment, tells ‘The Guardian’ there are several reasons for the severe Diwali pollution.

Weather plays a factor — in winter, cooler temperatures and slower winds prevent the smoke from being blown away. India's Central Pollution Control Board says wind speeds were lower for this Diwali than they were for last year's festival.

Then there's the baseline smog problem. "Delhi's air remains so polluted throughout the year that it doesn't really have room for additional pollution during Diwali," says Roychowdhury.

"New Delhi's air pollution, among the world's worst, spikes every winter because of the season's weak winds and countless garbage fires set alight to help people stay warm," the AP reports. Agricultural fires in nearby fields also contribute to the problem.

"New Delhi has tried to clean its air," the wire service adds. "It has barred cargo trucks from city streets, required drivers to buy newer cars that meet higher emissions standards, and carried out several weeks of experimental traffic control, limiting the number of cars on the road. But other pollution sources, including construction dust and cooking fires fueled by wood or kerosene, continue unabated."

In the run-up to Diwali, several campaigns called for residents to cut back on fireworks, the BBC reports. "Similar initiatives in the past have got little attention," the network says.

A new report from UNICEF says 2 billion children live in areas with elevated air pollution, with nearly a third of them in South Asia. The report also says some 300 million kids are exposed to air pollution levels that are toxic, or six times higher than WHO standards.

Delhi has some of the most polluted air in the world, according to a World Health Organization survey. Some 50 percent of all children who grow up in the Indian capital will suffer irreversible lung damage.

The Delhi government, for instance, said it had formed task forces to monitor people who were using cheap Chinese crackers that cause a lot of pollution and are also deemed unsafe due to the heavy presence of Potassium Chlorate in the explosive mixture. However, the Diwali celebrations quickly turned into a sort of collective fumigation for citizens.

The Delhi government called an emergency meeting on Tuesday to tackle the problem and assured the city's inhabitants that special sprinklers and mist fountains would be used to clear dust particles. Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s deputy chief minister ensured the plan would be implemented on a "war footing."

Calling for a ban on firecrackers, Father Robert Athickal, an environmentalist, told ucanews.com that bursting crackers is a "crime" as the combined smoke can seriously harm people, especially children and the elderly.

"People are following a herd mentality and do what others are doing. India needs a sustained campaign to ban crackers," he said. Father Athickal said that the Indian government would have to work collectively with state legislators to tackle the issue of air pollution.

Echoing the same views, environmentalist Anil Joshi told ucanews.com that people need to look after future generations. "We have to decide what we are leaving for our children. A healthy environment or smog-filled air which can only lead to health problems," said Joshi, founder of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization.

Disappointed by the situation, Father Savari Raj, director of Chetnalaya, the social service wing of the Delhi Archdiocese, said that the campaign for an eco-friendly Diwali had "failed." Firecrackers have been set off for centuries "and we have to reach out to the hearts of the people to not use crackers," he said.

Although Chetnalaya carried out a series of activities before Diwali to make people more aware of the harmful effects of crackers, they would be engaging in a more sustained campaign next year, according to Father Raj.

Banning crackers itself will hurt businesses and livelihoods of thousands of manufacturers and sellers across the country. However, there has to be a ban on the import of material that is particularly unsafe and can easily be replaced. Secondly, there should be regulations in place on the explosives, so as to reduce noise and air pollution as much as possible.

Several activists demand blanket bans on crackers every year. The issue itself has been taken up by several administrations who urge people not to burst crackers, a sort of voluntary ban. Activists have taken the matter to the Supreme Court as well, but have failed to get a favourable ruling. Some activists had demanded that there must be a ban on arbitrary bursting of crackers and there should be a designated place and time for bursting crackers on Diwali. The court ruled against the same, saying a ban will “hurt religious sentiments and hurt celebrations”.

Traditionally, each family lights firecrackers on the night of the festival, especially in northern India, filling the atmosphere with dust and smoke. The noise and smoke continues well past midnight in most cities.

There is no law that regulates permissions or restrictions on the amount of crackers one can burst or the kind or manner of bursting crackers. In India, it seems that the rituals and celebrations have taken such prime role that the health and safety of people has taken the backseat. There is a need for a strict legislation to mandate bursting of crackers, if the judiciary is unwilling to impose a blanket ban.

(Source: Indian Express, BBC, AFP, UCANews)