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Post-Diwali pollution peaks in Delhi

Mass firecracker use is to blame for a thick polluting smog in the Indian capital
Post-Diwali pollution peaks in Delhi

A cyclist covers his face while riding along a major road as smog covers the capital's skyline in New Delhi on Nov. 2, 2016. (Photo by AFP) 

Published: November 02, 2016 09:38 AM GMT
Updated: November 02, 2016 09:55 AM GMT

Diwali celebrations caused a foul smog to engulf New Delhi when millions of people set off firecrackers to celebrate the annual festival.

Air pollution was 14 times over the safety mark in many parts of the Indian capital due to the emission of deadly gases, including sulphur dioxide, from the bursting of fire crackers on Diwali night Oct. 30, raising health concerns.

The Delhi government called an emergency meeting on Nov. 1 to tackle the problem and assured the city's inhabitants that special sprinklers and mist fountains would be used to clear dust particles.

Manish Sisodia, Delhi’s deputy chief minister ensured the plan would be implemented on a "war footing."

Calling for a ban on firecrackers, Father Robert Athickal, an environmentalist, told ucanews.com that bursting crackers is a "crime" as the combined smoke can seriously harm people, especially children and the elderly.

"People are following a herd mentality and do what others are doing. India needs a sustained campaign to ban crackers," he said.

Father Athickal said that the Indian government would have to work collectively with state legislators to tackle the issue of air pollution.

Echoing the same views, environmentalist Anil Joshi told ucanews.com that people need to look after future generations.

"We have to decide what we are leaving for our children. A healthy environment or smog-filled air which can only lead to health problems," said Joshi, founder of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization.

Disappointed by the situation, Father Savai Raj, director of Chetnalaya, the social service wing of the Delhi Archdiocese, said that the campaign for an eco-friendly Diwali had "failed."

Firecrackers have been set off for centuries "and we have to reach out to the hearts of the people to not use crackers," he said.

Although Chetnalaya carried out a series of activities before Diwali to make people more aware of the harmful affects of crackers, they would be engaging in a more sustained campaign next year, according to Father Raj.

The annual festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus the world over, commemorates the victory of good over evil. People illuminate their homes with electric lights and earthen lamps and worship Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth.

Traditionally, each family lights firecrackers on the night of the festival, especially in northern India, filling the atmosphere with dust and smoke. The noise and smoke continues well past midnight in most cities. 

Delhi has some of the most polluted air in the world, according to a World Health Organization survey. Some 50 percent of all children who grow up in the Indian capital will suffer irreversible lung damage.

 

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