Diwali vs Year-Round Pollution: Are We Missing Forest for the Trees?

As another Diwali approaches, a familiar debate re-emerges with renewed vigour across social media, news platforms, and in public discourse: the pollution caused by firecrackers.

While environmental concerns during Diwali are valid, the spotlight on this single festival raises a question that many are now beginning to ask—are we approaching this topic with a double standard? The larger issue of pollution is indeed serious, but when every festival brings its own set of environmental impacts, why does the conversation seem to magnify around Diwali?

This perceived hypocrisy has led to polarization, with some labeling the outrage as selective criticism rooted in cultural bias. As air quality worsens across urban India, let’s examine why this issue seems to surface around Diwali, whether the criticism is justified, and the broader questions it raises about how India addresses pollution.

The Pollution Puzzle: A Complex and Year-Round Problem

To understand this issue fully, we must look beyond Diwali. India’s pollution problem extends far beyond one night of fireworks. According to a 2023 report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India, with air pollution claiming around 1.6 million lives annually in the country. Sources of pollution are myriad—industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, construction dust, and the burning of crop stubble in North India’s farmlands. Together, these factors contribute to hazardous levels of pollution that persist through much of the year.

However, it is during the Diwali season that heightened scrutiny falls on pollution, with strict bans on firecrackers and heavy-handed law enforcement. Media coverage often highlights the visible pollution from firecrackers but offers limited insight into the much larger, consistent sources of air pollution affecting India. This can lead to a sense of hypocrisy, especially when year-round issues receive comparatively little attention.

The Seasonal Surge: Why the Focus on Diwali?

The focus on Diwali and firecrackers stems from multiple factors, including the seasonal timing and the visible impact of fireworks. Diwali falls during late autumn, a time when cooler temperatures and lower wind speeds can lead to atmospheric conditions that trap pollutants close to the ground, worsening air quality. The smoke from firecrackers adds to this, creating dense smog that, in cities like Delhi, can be hazardous to residents.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that pollution levels during this period are exacerbated by other activities as well. Crop burning across Punjab and Haryana, which occurs around the same time as Diwali, has a more substantial impact on air quality in Northern India than fireworks alone. Yet, firecrackers remain the focal point, while discussions around crop burning or vehicular emissions are often relegated to secondary concerns.

This disproportionate attention has, for many, underscored a sense of hypocrisy. By attributing the pollution problem primarily to Diwali festivities, critics argue, we ignore deeper, systemic sources of pollution that persist throughout the year and target a specific cultural practice instead.

Urban Elites and Cultural Critiques

It’s also worth examining who drives these conversations. The debate on Diwali pollution is often fueled by urban elites who, while criticizing firecracker pollution, may overlook their own significant contributions to environmental degradation. High-end consumerism, energy-intensive lifestyles, and car dependency among the middle and upper-middle classes are rarely questioned with the same fervour. These activities contribute substantially to pollution and climate change, yet they receive little scrutiny compared to Diwali festivities.

This selective criticism is viewed by some as a form of cultural elitism. Diwali, a festival celebrated widely across India with deep cultural and religious significance, is often an easy target for criticism because it involves visible, “othered” practices like bursting firecrackers, which are easily associated with pollution. On the other hand, pollution caused by consumerism, air travel, or urban infrastructure is more normalized and thus escapes similar levels of condemnation.

The Historical Perspective: Festivals and Environmental Impact

Most festivals, regardless of their religious background, come with some environmental impact. Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world involve large-scale lighting displays, fireworks, and other practices that contribute to pollution. Yet, these celebrations are often praised or viewed indulgently rather than scrutinized. In India, Holi, too, contributes to water pollution, as do Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja, with their idol immersions.

The selective focus on Diwali reflects a broader inconsistency. Are we, as a society, comfortable condemning one festival while ignoring or downplaying others? This question becomes especially relevant as India continues to urbanize and grapple with the tension between preserving cultural practices and addressing urgent environmental challenges.

Solutions Beyond Selective Criticism

The answer to India’s pollution problem is not as simple as banning firecrackers for one night. While reducing pollution from firecrackers could help, it would not solve the larger problem of deteriorating air quality. Real solutions require comprehensive policies that address pollution holistically. This includes stricter regulations on vehicle emissions, more efficient public transport systems, cleaner energy sources, and sustainable farming practices.

Efforts are being made, albeit slowly. India has launched initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which aims to reduce air pollution in the most polluted cities by 20-30% by 2024. While these efforts are a step in the right direction, they will require far more investment, political will, and public support to bring about lasting change.

Educational campaigns could also play a vital role. Instead of only pointing out the environmental consequences of Diwali, the government and environmental organizations could launch year-round campaigns on sustainable practices, celebrating festivals in environmentally friendly ways, and raising awareness about other forms of pollution. Such an approach would not only reduce the perceived hypocrisy but also foster a more informed public that can engage in meaningful actions beyond selective outrage.

Looking Ahead: Balancing Tradition and Environmental Responsibility

As we approach yet another Diwali, it’s essential to ask ourselves whether our approach to pollution is fair and balanced. Festivals hold a significant place in India’s social and cultural landscape, and their celebration is a means of bringing communities together. Rather than targeting a specific festival, efforts to combat pollution must be inclusive and extend to addressing everyday practices and industries that contribute far more substantially to pollution.

Real change will come not from selective criticism but from a unified approach that respects cultural traditions while encouraging sustainable practices. Whether through cleaner alternatives to firecrackers, eco-friendly farming practices, or investing in public transportation, India’s path to reducing pollution lies in policies that tackle the problem holistically, without scapegoating specific traditions or communities.

Only then can we hope to resolve the hypocrisy surrounding Diwali pollution and move towards a cleaner, healthier future for all. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether we should reduce Diwali pollution but whether we are equally committed to tackling all forms of pollution with the same vigour.

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