For last few years, Delhi has been facing a huge problem of pollution during winters. It starts from around Diwali and remains the same till summers hit Delhi around February and March. This year, Delhi’s Air Quality Index has reached a severe level even before Dussehra. At 2.5 PM and 10 PM, they are already at a dangerous level.
Delhi pollution catches the world’s attention every year, and this year it happened again when Canadian singer Bryan Adams was in Delhi for his concert and he noticed the hazardous level of pollution in Delhi. It can be seen through his Instagram post in which he thanked Delhi and also claimed that he saw his ghost in the air of Delhi.
Well, leave the post of Bryan Adams aside and let’s get back to talking about Delhi because many of us will say, “Why does an outsider have to tell us about the conditions of our city?” Fine! But it is a very big concern that we are ignoring such a big issue. Delhi’s air quality is already bad and everyone is finding a scapegoat to blame it on so that they can escape from their responsibilities.
When the pollution is visible in the face of smog, people start accusing the government, which in turn starts accusing the farmers of Punjab and Harayana by saying that the air quality reached this hazardous level because of their stubble-burning, and then NGT fine the government. The world will show its concern but everything will remain the same till the season comes back on again. Remember, pollution has arrived and the smoke of stubble-burning is on its way and the blame-game has also started.
Pollution Is Knocking On Our Doors
Winters are about to arrive, and pollution started knocking on the doors of Delhi as the air quality is already severe, and after Dussehra smog will be visible and it will become unstoppable for the next four months. After Dussehra, because we will be burning the statues of Raavan to celebrate the victory of Lord Rama, (and also if you burst crackers and other elements at this large level) it will definitely release smoke along with poisonous gases.
Who Cares?
Now the question is – who cares about Delhiites amidst such critical conditions? Well, even Delhiites don’t care about the air quality here, unfortunately. It seems they are okay with the hazardous situations that they will face during these four months. In 2016, three children appealed to the Supreme Court to put a nationwide ban on firecrackers, which Supreme Court rejected. Another appeal reached the Supreme Court in 2017, and Supreme Court put a ban on the sale of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Diwali.
But, Delhi is Delhi! And Delhiites can’t resist themselves from doing what they want. Loopholes in system helped them a lot to “make Diwali crackers waali” and it resulted in a thick layer of smog, in the atmosphere of Delhi, which was full of poisonous elements.
Come on! We want the government to think about us and we can’t think about ourselves for once? Delhi used to spend crores of rupees on firecrackers during Diwali. Okay! Crackers are a part of the festival and we can buy it in little amount also. Remember, crackers are a part of Diwali but pollution is definitely not.
What Can You Do?
- Your hard earned money, which you can invest somewhere else or can save for the future.
- Can decrease problems for elderlies and patients, which can be caused due to noisy crackers.
- Save yourself from making contribution to the pollution.
- Keep your surroundings clean from the garbage created by burnt cracker.
- Make your environment friendly for asthma and other patients, who are suffering from respiratory diseases. Remember, it you don’t care about yourself then, how will the government care about you?
There are many causes for pollution in Delhi. Such as –
- Delhi shares its border with the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. One of the main reasons of increasing air pollution levels in Delhi is crop burning by the farmers in these states. The wind carries all the pollutants and dust particles, which get locked in the air.
- Pollution caused by the traffic menace in Delhi is another reason contributing to this air pollution and smog.
- As the winter season sets in, dust particles and pollutants in the air don’t move. Due to stagnant winds, these pollutants get locked in the air and affect weather conditions, resulting in smog.
- Large scale construction in Delhi-NCR is another culprit that is increasing dust and pollution in the air.
- Industrial pollution and garbage dumps are also increasing air pollution and building-up smog in the air.
- Large number of vehicles and population.
- Despite the ban on firecrackers, people used it on a large scale last year.
When smog takes its dangerous face after Diwali, then, how can we blame only farmers for that? Why are Delhiites not equally responsible? If we have more money to show off, we can donate that money to those farmers so that they will dispose stubble somewhere else instead of burning it.
Wake up before it’s too late. Everyone likes the holidays that are given because of hazardous conditions of Delhi’s air, but that doesn’t help anyone. Choice is yours – whether you want to see the Sun during these days or you are happy with the Sun looking like the Moon; if it will be visible in the first place, that is.