Bhuvan Bhaskar
Four days have passed since Diwali, so it would not be irrelevant to do a short-term review of air pollution in the country and its various aspects. short-lived because in the last few years, by the time of Diwali, the left-liberal group of the country becomes so concerned and distressed about pollution that it seems that pollution is a Diwali-centric problem, which also starts with Diwali, and It also ends with Diwali.
After this, air pollution never becomes an important part of the discourse from social media to the open pages of newspapers throughout the year. So that is why a short-term review of the frightening and deadly problem of air pollution is also necessary to understand how fresh the air has increased in the days before and after Diwali.
According to a report by Greenpeace, during 2020, despite the COVID lockdown, 57,000 people in Delhi alone died due to air pollution. These deaths happened in the whole year not in Diwali and 2-3 days after that. According to the list released on the basis of data obtained from equipment installed at 80,000 centers across the world, 20 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world during 2020 were in India.
This pollution was calculated on the basis of PM2.5 and the average was taken for the whole year. That is, if pollution was a problem only on the day of Diwali and for the next 3-4 days, then in the average of the whole year, 20 cities in India would not be shining in the list of 30 cities in the world.
This clearly proves that the real motive of those who shed crocodile tears about pollution during Diwali is neither to create any meaningful discussion against air pollution nor to spread awareness among people about it. Well, whatever the motive – it is necessary to examine how much Diwali has a share in the country’s horrific air pollution problem.
According to a study on PM2.5 pollution in Delhi, 38% share is from road dust, while 20% is from vehicles. The share of pollution from domestic sources is 12% and from industrial sources is 11%. The remaining 19% includes construction, burning of MSW, concrete batching, hotels and restaurants, diesel gensets etc.
There is no name of Diwali in these. Nevertheless, Diwali could be attributed to air pollution for two days or even four days only if at any other time or day of the year the pollution level did not reach a height where Diwali or the two days after that. seen in So let’s see what the figures for 2020 and 2021 are saying.
Diwali in 2020 was on 14th November. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the average PM2.5 levels at three locations in Delhi, Alipore, ITO and IGI Airport T-3, were 496, 463 and 417 respectively on December 15, as compared to 5 for about 10 days earlier. On November, the level of PM2.5 at these three places was 492, 481 and 455. It is evident that 10 days before the next day of Diwali, the AQI was either almost equal or higher at all the three places.
So is it to be believed that the fireworks on Diwali have no effect on air pollution? This belief would be baseless and unscientific. There was smoke and there was smoke and due to burning of gunpowder, PM2.5 particles also spread in the atmosphere. But the AQI figures show that the pollution caused by these particles was short-lived. This time take a look at the figures till November 4, 5 and 6 of 2021 i.e. Diwali and two days after that.
Once again let’s look at the same three places, Alipore, ITO and IGI Airport T-3. According to the data available on the CPCB website, the AQI level in Alipore was stable at 410-415 from 6 am to around 12 am on Diwali i.e. 4 November. After that this level started rising and remained in the range of 440-475 from 12 noon to 6 pm. But after 6 pm it crossed the maximum AQI level of 500.
The AQI level remained above the maximum 500 till 12 noon on the next day on 5th November. But after that it started coming down and between 3 and 6 pm it remained continuously below 400. The next day it once again went above 500 and later between 12 noon and 6 pm it once again remained in the range of 312-359.
If we look at the same data on ITO, then there the AQI level between 12 pm and 2 pm on Diwali day was above 500 and later it fell to 388 by 6 pm. By 9 pm, it again gradually increased above the level of 500 and from 12 pm, the AQI level once again fell in the range of 388-431 till 12 noon the next day.
Between 12 noon and 1 pm it again crossed the maximum level of 500 and after 2 pm by 9 pm once again crossed the maximum level of 500 after coming down to 388. The story followed almost the same lines at all other centers in Delhi including IGI Airport T-3.
It is clear that even if any pollution increased from Diwali, it came back to normal level in the next 12 hours. But the real question is that if the AQI level went above 500 for 12 hours after the Diwali fireworks, then why did it cross 500 in the period before or after that.
The answer to this question can be found in a research by thinktank ORF. According to the research, in 2019, while the average concentration of PM2.5 across the country was 58.1 micrograms per cubic meter, in Delhi this figure was 98.6. It has been told in this study that five major factors of PM2.5 air pollution in Delhi are stubble burning, vehicle movement, industrial activities, power plants and construction work.
Diwali may be celebrated for only one day in a year, but the stubble is lit for two months and the rest of the four karakas continue for 365 days throughout the year. Obviously the AQI level goes above 500 on the day of Diwali and even after that.
If still someone wants to blame Diwali for this, then in 365 days he can definitely break the blame of 1-2 days on Diwali, but he will have to answer for the remaining 363 days.
(The author is an expert in agriculture affairs)
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