While several state governments across India focus their target against the Hindu festival of Diwali to ‘show’ that they are concerned about the environment and air pollution, the air quality of Delhi is silently demonstrating that blaming Diwali crackers for air pollution is nothing but lazy and irresponsible.
Several days ahead of the festival, the air quality of Delhi is already in ‘very poor’ category, thanks to rampant stubble burning in neighbouring states and zero efforts by the concerned authorities to prevent it.
Air quality in Delhi deteriorates ahead of Diwali.
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 1, 2021
Sherine with details. pic.twitter.com/sHQcFfEHdO
As per reports, the rampant and unchecked stubble burnings in Delhi’s Northwestern regions has contributed to at least 12% of pollutants in Delhi’s air.
As per a report by ANI, on Monday, November 1, the air quality of Delhi slipped to ‘very poor’ category. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)’s data placed Delhi’s AQI at 302. The current air quality is expected to stay in the very poor category at least for 2 days. The SAFAR has stated that wind conditions and rainfall may slightly improve air quality in the coming days.
8% of the PM2.5 value comes from crop residue burning emissions.
Stubble burning main reason of Delhi’s poor air quality
Stubble burning in areas around Delhi is a major contributor towards air pollution in the national capital. While the UP and Haryana governments have taken some steps to discourage farmers from burning crop residue, the practice continues unabated in Punjab.
A report in Times Now stated that as many as over 1700 fires have been observed in the northwestern region of Delhi, sending pollutants towards Delhi.
It is notable here that state governments, including that of Haryana and Punjab, have completely failed to prevent the practice of stubble burning in their states. Despite total failure to prevent one of the main causes of poor air quality, several state governments have placed a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali.
The Kejriwal government had put a blanket ban on the sale and use of firecrackers. Yesterday, the Haryana government also placed a blanket ban on firecrackers in 14 districts that fall in the National Capital Region. On October 28, the Supreme Court had observed that while the firecrackers issue is temporary, stubble burning is the main culprit behind deteriorating air quality in several areas. However, the SC will hear the matter after the Diwali break.
Firecrackers not even among top main causes of air pollution
Diwali is a once in a year celebration for the Hindu community where people burst firecrackers in the evening to celebrate Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya. While multiple governments, organisations and courts are launching a systematic attack against the Hindu festival, painting it as the evil cause behind air pollution, the claims are not supported by research and are dishonest, to say the least.
It is notable here that in 2016, a research study by IIT Kanpur had found that firecrackers are not the top contributors to Delhi’s poor air quality. The study had pegged construction dust as the top cause, followed by vehicular pollution and bad infrastructure, the next worst cause was stubble burning. However, during a hearing in a plea against the NGT order of ban against firecrackers this July, the Supreme Court had rejected the study, saying they do not need IIT Kanpur to decide that firecrackers cause pollution.
The pollution data of Delhi analysed by IIT Kanpur had suggested that suggest that the pollution caused by Diwali is extremely short-lived (less than 24 hrs), and is no worse than the usual spikes of pollutants that are present in Delhi’s air almost all the year.
