Hindu festival worsens Indian capital's air pollution woes

Published October 26, 2020
An effigy depicting coronavirus, a new addition this year, goes up in flames during Dussehra festival celebrations toned down due to the coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi, India on Sunday. — AP
An effigy depicting coronavirus, a new addition this year, goes up in flames during Dussehra festival celebrations toned down due to the coronavirus pandemic in New Delhi, India on Sunday. — AP
Devotees disperse as an effigy of the Hindu demon King Ravana, stuffed with firecrackers, burns on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Dussehra that marks the triumph of good over evil, in Amritsar on Sunday. — AFP
Devotees disperse as an effigy of the Hindu demon King Ravana, stuffed with firecrackers, burns on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Dussehra that marks the triumph of good over evil, in Amritsar on Sunday. — AFP
People watch the effigy of demon king Ravana burning during the celebrations of the Dussehra festival in Allahabad on Sunday. — AFP
People watch the effigy of demon king Ravana burning during the celebrations of the Dussehra festival in Allahabad on Sunday. — AFP

New Delhi's appalling air quality turned a lot worse over the weekend as Hindus in India's capital burned effigies of the mythological demon king Ravana and lit firecrackers to celebrate the triumph of good over evil during the Dussehra festival.

As pollution spiked on Monday morning, India Gate — a monument near Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office — was blanketed in smog, and the mega-city's 20 million people breathed in “very poor” air, even “hazardous” in some places.

US President Donald Trump cited India for its “filthy” air during the final presidential debate last week, prompting Democratic rival Joe Biden to tweet: “It's not how you talk about friends and it's not how you solve global challenges like climate change.”

But, for all the angst displayed on social media by some Indians over Trump's comment, the country's own pollution watchdog delivered the inescapable truth with another dreadful daily reading.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board's air quality index (AQI), any reading above 100 on the scale of 500 becomes progressively unsafe for health.

On Monday afternoon in the capital the AQI struck 347, while for some areas like Sonia Vihar it was as high as 439, well into the hazardous zone.

Doctors have already noted a jump in respiratory problems among residents in the capital, where over 353,000 of India's 7.9 million coronavirus cases have been reported.

So far this month, Delhi's AQI has averaged a “poor” 227, as residents paid a price for farmers in surrounding states burning off stubble before planting a new crop.

While the climax of the Dussehra festival on Sunday was harmful enough for people's lungs, environmentalists have warned that Diwali in mid-November could be a lot worse, as people light many more firecrackers for the festival of lights.

Next month, farmers would typically still be burning stubble in some states, and low winds would let the smog settle over the capital.

Authorities have launched a campaign urging people to take steps to control pollution while ordering sprinkling of water and banning the use of electricity generator sets.

Opinion

Editorial

Close the gap
Updated 16 Jun, 2025

Close the gap

Our imbalanced scorecard in the main shows that power development and prosperity reflect the shallowness of political claims.
Fiscal malfeasance
16 Jun, 2025

Fiscal malfeasance

IT is galling that, even in these times of economic distress, when hardship has pushed millions of ordinary...
Rochdale conviction
16 Jun, 2025

Rochdale conviction

THE recent conviction of seven men in the Rochdale grooming gang case is a hard-won moment of justice. The men, ...
Deepening conflict
Updated 15 Jun, 2025

Deepening conflict

Some media reports say that the US had shipped hundreds of missiles to Israel before the attack on Iran.
Some strides
15 Jun, 2025

Some strides

THE PTI government in KP is not known for sound public service delivery in a province whose economy has been ...
Air India tragedy
15 Jun, 2025

Air India tragedy

THE black box of the ill-fated Air India flight AI171 has been recovered, and that should reveal in the coming days...