Diwali's dark side

Diwali, derived from the original Sanskrit word Deepavali, is a festival of light. But, with every passing year, it has increasingly become a festival of pollution, be it of air, or of sound. The bursting of firecrackers and other fireworks have already begun in some cities of the country, and going by media reports, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi has already worsened seven days ahead of Diwali. Media reports, quoting Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, have shown that several areas of Delhi's AQI have turned either 'poor' or 'severe'. Given this situation, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Friday issued a directive to all stakeholders to strictly abide by its statutory directives in the coming days to avoid prosecution and penalties. But what has actually happened is that though the government issues safety guidelines and pollution warnings ahead of Diwali every year, not many people actually follow them properly. While law-enforcing agencies generally appear to remain helpless spectators, one must also agree that NGOs, social organizations and religious leaders have also miserably failed to do anything proactive to protect the people from the pollution caused by a section of people during Diwali. It is not that the majority people indulge in large-scale fireworks and cause the pollution. Rather, taking a close look, one will find that in every locality it is a miniscule minority who do mischief and cause the entire community to suffer. Firecrackers have a number of dangerous chemicals in them. These can cause burns and respiratory attacks, which in turn also contribute to causing many infectious diseases and inflammations. Any kind of pre-existing disease in people can be worsened owing to the chemicals in crackers and can also cause a new disease. Some chemicals present in crackers used during Diwali are – Copper (which irritates the respiratory tract), Cadmium (which is responsible for vomiting and fume fever), Lead (this directly affects the nervous system), Magnesium (this is the most important cause of fume fever caused by inhaling magnesium fumes) and Sodium (which is a highly reactive element and can cause burns or wounds if exposed to air). Diwali-induced air pollution can cause chronic asthma, pulmonary insufficiency, and cardiovascular diseases. High intake of polluted air can lead to miscarriage among pregnant women.