As ‘liberals’ and propagandists whine about Delhi’s AQI post Diwali, here is how it has remained similar despite cracker ban in previous years: How stubble burning, not firecrackers, worsens AQI
For years, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained between the ‘very poor’ and ‘severe’ categories during Diwali, irrespective of whether firecrackers were banned, restricted, or allowed in the form of ‘green crackers’, as happened this year.
Diwali has become a ‘festival of ridicule’ for liberals and propagandists. Every year, they come out and blame Hindus for bursting fireworks, claiming it worsens the air quality. Rocky Singh, who got famous from a food show, wrote, “DELHI AIR POLLUTION WAS AT LETHAL LEVELS YESTERDAY”.
Photographer Atul Kasbekar rote, “In the name of ‘religion’ people in north India are voluntarily destroying their health”.
X user “The Protagonist” wrote, “F**k all of you pathetic imbeciles for making life miserable. FYI India accounts for about 46% of global asthma deaths, and roughly 200,000 people die each year in India from asthma,” while showing an image of asthma inhaler.
X user Jatin Gupta wrote, “Delhi is a city full of buffoons and idiots. The air is unbreathable now because some dimwits think burning crackers=Diwali. Just dumb. Plain Dumb.”
Delhi AQI data reveals AQI remained same over years despite ban on firecrackers
According to the Central Pollution Control Board’s bulletin on 21st October, Delhi’s AQI was 351 compared to 345 on 20th October. OpIndia checked data since 2021 for the day before Diwali festivities and the following day.
In 2024, Diwali was celebrated on 31st October. On that day, the AQI was 328 and the next day, that is, on 1st November, the AQI was 339, as per CPCB respiratory data.
In 2023, Diwali was celebrated on 12th November. On that day, the AQI was 218 and the next day, that is, on 13th November, the AQI was 358.
In 2022, Diwali was celebrated on 24th October. On that day, the AQI was 312 and the next day, that is, on 25th October, the AQI was 302.
In 2021, Diwali was celebrated on 4th November. On that day, the AQI was 382 and the next day, that is, on 5th November, the AQI was 462.
Despite variations in enforcement, the data shows no significant improvement, which indicates that there are factors beyond Diwali celebrations that are primarily responsible for the city’s toxic air.
BJP blames AAP-led Punjab for worsening air
On 21st October, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of aggravating Delhi’s pollution through unchecked stubble burning incidents. BJP’s IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, in a post on X, said that farmers in Punjab set their paddy stubble ablaze during Diwali to pass it off as firecracker smoke and evade police action.
He wrote, “Don’t blame Deepawali for the poor air quality in Delhi-NCR,” and added that AAP is effectively incentivising stubble burning to malign the Hindu festival.
What data says about stubble burning
According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) data, stubble burning incidents have increased substantially over the past few days. On 21st October, 268 stubble burning incidents were reported, out of which 62 were from Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh took the lead with 103 incidents.
Similarly, on 20th October, the number of incidents was 217, out of which 45 were from Punjab and 77 from Uttar Pradesh. On 19th October, Punjab reported 67 incidents and Uttar Pradesh reported 12. It is evident that stubble burning incidents have increased and farmers, not only in Punjab but also in Uttar Pradesh and other states, have contributed extensively to air pollution. Notably, the peak stubble burning season has only just begun, and it will get worse in the coming days if states fail to enforce regulations to stop stubble burning.
Though Punjab has shown fewer number of stubble burning incidents compared to UP this year, previous year data of stubble burning showed Punjab was the top state in stubble burning incidents. Furthermore, the “stubble burning season” has just begun and in coming days, Punjab may possibly surpass UP and other states.
The myth of ‘green Diwali’ and unchanged AQI levels
Over the years, data has painted a clear picture. Even when courts restricted firecrackers and Delhi promoted a “green Diwali”, pollution levels hardly shifted. The difference in AQI numbers is negligible.
Experts have also pointed to the coincidence of Diwali with the peak stubble burning season in Punjab and Haryana. The crop residue fires, combined with low wind speed and temperature inversion during October and November, trap pollutants in the atmosphere, worsening Delhi’s air. Even before Diwali, AQI levels tend to fall in the ‘poor’ category, indicating that the city’s pollution crisis is not caused solely by crackers.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of messages on social media blaming Hindus and Diwali for the poor air quality. However, data narrates a different story. Instead of blaming the Hindu festival for pollution, it is necessary to examine the real cause behind the rising air pollution and falling air quality in the national capital. The Delhi government has planned to conduct cloud seeding between 24th and 26th October to bring down air pollution in Delhi. It will be interesting to see if artificial rain is going to help in curbing pollution as stubble burning incidents continue to rise across North India.
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