A greener Diwali, rooted in tradition and mindful of public health, can preserve the festival’s joy without choking the air we breathe.
When Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya, the city welcomed him with rows of earthen lamps. That was the first Diwali, thereafter, it metamorphed into an occasion of loud celebrations, ably supported by high-decibel firecrackers. Celebration is all about feeling joy, something one cannot feel in deafening sound of crackers.
The Supreme Court has drawn its line with care. Its order permits only CSIR-NEERI-certified green crackers in Delhi-NCR, and only on November 7 and 8, between 6 and 7 am and 8 and 10 pm. The Supreme Court has not banned the firecrackers, just limited its time span.
But as any Delhiite would vouch, Delhi is going to have an all-night firecracker night and the morning AQI would break yet another record. The hospitals would have tough time so would the old people and children trying to have a sleep. It is not that Delhiites are not law-abiding citizens, they are but when it comes to bursting crackers, they become unstoppable. and when whole city is doing implementing such an order becomes impossible.
The bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale has called the relaxation temporary, held that festivities cannot override public health, and stressed that public perception of firecrackers must itself change. The numbers explain why. Delhi’s AQI touched 428 on November 2, deep in the "severe" zone, days before Diwali.
That followed an October average of 166, the lowest in eight years, a gain that remains fragile. India’s 24-hour standard for PM2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre; researchers note fine-particle levels climbing by 30 to 400 per cent on festival nights, with pollutants two to six times higher than on normal days.
Green crackers emit less, but they are not pollution-free. The burden falls hardest on those least able to bear it. Research reports a 30-40 per cent rise in wheezing, respiratory infections, asthma and COPD cases during Diwali, with more respiratory hospitalisations afterwards than before.
Children, whose lungs are still developing are most vulnerable, along with the elderly and anyone with heart or lung disease. For an asthmatic grandparent or a newborn, Diwali night turns from celebration into an emergency.
Nothing here asks Indians to dilute faith or joy. Diwali’s soul lives in the diya, the rangoli, the puja, the sweets and the family gathered together. The way forward lies in offering alternatives, not merely imposing bans. Ayodhya’s own Deepotsav, with lakhs of lamps, shows how spectacular light can be. Use technology to make it interesting.
Laser and light shows can offer the sky-lit thrill children crave. Regulation must be enforced, not merely announced. QR-verified stock, fixed timings and designated no-cracker zones work only if monitored. The change must come through persuasion.
A green Diwali is not a diminished one. It is a return to the festival Ayodhya first celebrated. Light a lamp for Ram, and leave the air clean for the neighbour who can barely breathe.