Known for their over-the-top celebrations, the Punjabis this year indulged in comparatively “less polluted” Diwali. Attribute it to the restrictions over bursting of crackers or sentience towards green celebrations, the air pollution levels across the state on Sunday — the Diwali day — witnessed substantial drop in comparison to the previous years.
As per the figures released by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on Monday, the State witnessed a fall of 10.25 per cent in its air quality index (AQI) from the previous year and 36 per cent from 2017.
The state’s average air quality index — a measurement of the concentration of toxic particulate matter (PM) in air — was recorded at 210 on Sunday, against 234 in 2018 and 328 in 2017 on ‘Diwali day’.
Even as the Supreme Court’s directions to burst crackers between 8 pm to 10 pm were flouted at many places in Punjab on the day of Diwali, all out efforts were made by the PPCB with the help of the Punjab Police to implement the restrictions.
PPCB field officers patrolled various areas under their jurisdiction, and seized crackers from the people indulging in bursting even after the fixed timeframe.
As per reports from many parts of the State, many people indulge in bursting of crackers on even before and after the two-hour timings allowed by the Apex Court. However, neither the PPCB nor the Police Department could provide the exact figures against whom the action has been taken for the violation.
PPCB maintained that the real time data of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations established at Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Bathinda and Ropar, Punjab’s average AQI has come down to 210.
“It was 234 in the year 2018 and 328 in the year 2017, indicating a very encouraging decrease of 10.25 percent in AQI from previous year and 36 percent from 2017,” said PPCB Deputy Director Dr Charanjit Singh.
He said that even as the harvesting of paddy in the state is at its peak and there were 2,231 fire incidences reported on Sunday only by Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, which had also contributed to the Air Quality Index, “the better quality of air prevailed this year than previous years on Diwali day”.
Stating these facts as very encouraging, the PPCB chairman Prof SS Marwaha attributed the same to the awareness and educative campaigns.
“The awareness campaign against bursting of crackers launched by the schools, educating the school children regarding ill-effects of cracker bursting leading to deterioration of air quality, and the role of government and non-government organizations in this regard, have started showing the results,” he said.
As per data, the average PM10 during previous year was 277 micrograms per cubic meter (µgm/m3), and PM2.5 was 126 µgm/m3, whereas this year, these are 212 µgm/m3 and 117 µgm/m3 respectively leading to 23.46 percent and 7.14 percent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 levels respectively.
PM10 is the existing “coarse” particle standard including all particles less than 10 microns in size, and are so small that they can get into the lungs, potentially causing serious health problems. Ten micrometers is less than the width of a single human hair. PM2.5 are fine particles such as those found in smoke and haze have diameters less than 2.5 microns.
“As compared to 2017, this year the reduction in PM10 is 52 percent and 48 percent in PM2.5 — indicating a regular improvement of air quality on Diwali day. This is a very encouraging phenomenon where every individual is contributing to make Diwali a greener Diwali every year,” said Prof Marwaha.
Notably, the crackers not only release obnoxious molecules in the air but also release Particulate Matter (PM), both PM 2.5 and PM 10, increasing the level of air pollution. These gases and PM 2.5 has the potential to directly enter into ones lungs which may cause irreversible damage especially to the children and old people.
Prof Marwaha said that the Board’s field officers of the Board in association with the Police Department patrolled various cities falling under their jurisdiction to implement the Supreme Court’s orders that the cracker bursting may take place only between 8 pm to 10 pm.