Post-Diwali morning air pollution level was 6.6 times higher than prescribed standards and more than twice as high as pre-Diwali day levels
Children who have grown with values of conformity must have had a harrowing time this Diwali in National Capital Region (NCR). They would have watched in dismay the sparkling in the sky and bursting of crackers by those - who were either unaware of the Supreme Court ruling prohibiting sale of firecrackers or chose to defy the same. Beyond doubt, the intent of the Supreme Court in imposing ban on sale of fire-crackers was good. However, what came out of it would surely lead the court and environmentalists, who blamed one-day mass bursting of firecrackers as a major cause of pollution, to sit down and review this perspective.
Facts say the same. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) RK Puram monitoring station recorded PM2.5 and PM10 at 878 and 1,179 microgrammes per cubic metre at around 11 pm on Diwali night. Though the air was cleaner this Diwali compared to last year when the Government had to declare an "emergency situation" as air pollution in the national Capital during this time hit alarming levels, this year the pollution level reached as much as five times over the safe limit, according to various reports.
According to Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), "Despite the cracker ban the 24-hour average level of PM2.5 during Diwali and the morning after (12 pm-12 am, October 19-20) has been 397 microgramme per cubic metre (mg/cu m). This is 6.6 times higher than prescribed standards and more than two times higher than the levels of pre-Diwali day when the 24-hour average was 184 microgramme per cu m."
Data by the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) data exhibited a significant drop in volume of particulates PM2.5, PM10 and gaseous pollutant SO2 (sulphur dioxide) across Delhi on the Diwali night, as compared to 2016. However, the volume of pollutants were almost identical and at many places even higher, when compared with figures of 2014 or 2015, making it difficult to attribute the marginal dip to any particular factor, such as the ban on the sale of firecrackers.
The enormity of problem of pollution requires a multi-pronged intervention like orders on closure of polluting industries and mandatory use of CNG in Delhi public transport system among others issued by the Supreme Court. It is also a known fact that pollution in Delhi has been persistent and is caused primarily by vehicular, industrial, construction pollution. Industrial and vehicular pollution together constitutes over 80 per cent of Delhi's pollution and therefore one-day mass bursting of firecrackers contributes only fraction in spiking pollution levels (though of course it impacts livelihood of thousands engaged in its manufacturing and trade).
The CSE carried out an analysis which has shown that despite the cracker ban, air pollution levels breached the emergency standards on Diwali night. It said, "But it is also clear that without the ban on the sale of firecrackers, the levels would have been far worse. Calm wind and more moisture in the air on post-Diwali morning worsened the pollution build-up." According to a report on CSE website, Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, said, "It is clear that the Delhi-NCR region requires a longer term and systemic action than a one-off ban. The Supreme Court has already ordered a phase down strategy with the help of regulation of chemicals, standards, reduced quantum of crackers, controlled bursting of crackers through community events and occasional controls. This must be implemented without delay for a longer term solution to the problem."
Roychowdhury also said, "Delhi and NCR cannot continue to remain on emergency mode all the time to address this public health crisis. This demands long-term strategy to control pollution from continuous sources, including motor vehicles and industry, while curbing episodic pollution from firecrackers and farm fires. A comprehensive action plan must combine short and long-term strategies for vehicles, industry, waste burning and construction activities for more sustained and long-term gains."
The problem though is serious and requires a cocktail of small and big measures but what we need is strategies which are thought through and evaluated. Despite the good intent of the Supreme Court, the ban on sale of firecracker failed to give the desired results as it could never do. Much like the odd-even trial by the Delhi Government, this ban too may stand out as a failed experiment and a certain pointer to future. Hopefully, next year obedient kids will have a sparkling Diwali.
(The writer is a strategic communications professional)