Ban on Crackers in Delhi –

Leaving the Elephant in the room and running after the Butterfly

Come Diwali and come discussion about ban on crackers in Delhi.    On 20^th October 2022 Hon’ble Supreme Court declined to entertain an urgent plea to lift a ban by Delhi Government on the production, storage, sale and bursting of firecracker in Delhi.    They also gave a word of advice spend your money on sweets (as of now they are not concerned about people suffering from diabetes) and let people breathe clear air.    I could never comprehend how banning bursting of crackers for a day on Diwali can cleanse the Delhi Air which remains polluted round the year  

 

Delhi has a huge problem of pollution throughout the year and becomes a gas chamber during winter season.    In the last 4-5 years it has crossed danger levels on every yardstick.   This situation has arisen mainly due to:

 

• ·      Heavy pollution emission by vehicles specially transport vehicles viz., buses, lorries and diesel cars
• ·      Stubble burning by formers of Haryana/Punjab.    There been a slug fest on these issues between Delhi – Haryana – Punjab Governments for a very long time with little relief from this menace
• ·         Construction work in NCR.  
• ·      Industrial pollution by small and medium industries in industrial and non-residential areas thriving legally and illegally

 

Why the Tokenism of banning Crackers and thumping chests?

Our politicians and Government has a great ability to divert and deflect the attention of the public from critical issues and as far the perpetual and perennial pollution problem is concerned the Delhi Government has done precious little than tokenism of banning bursting of crackers during Diwali.   It is also fashionable for certain sections of the society to take such stands to be looked upon as educated, elite and responsible towards society without of course going into logics of it.  

There is no denying of the fact that firecrackers do contribute to the pollution, but the mute question is for how long crackers are burnt during Diwali and how much is the contribution due to burning of firecrackers towards Delhi over pollution levels.  Crackers are burnt on the day of Diwali and may be a day before and day after once in a year and going by any statistics its share is miniscule compared to the overall pollution contribution in the Capital by other factors.    So if one considers round the year pollution in the capital what purpose will the ban on firecrackers and reduction of pollution for a day serves?   It’s nothing but an absolute tokenism

What it really robs of: 

First and foremost, it robs the children of the great fun which they look forward for entire year.   Personally, as a child I have thoroughly enjoyed Diwali and burning of firecrackers and look forward for entire year.    I and my friends used to make some of the crackers and enjoy burning those more than the ones we purchased from the market.   The child in me stayed on for very long as far as burning crackers is concerned though the noisy bombs gave way to phool ghadis and anars.   When my daughters were young, I used to look forward for Diwali festivities including burning crackers with them.   Not only in India but all over the world burning of crackers is part of many celebrations.    We often watch videos coming from various parts of the world where crackers are burnt for hours together as part of some celebrations.    Even in India during marriage and other celebrations, various festivals specially Diwali crackers are burnt.    Even the politicians (including successive Delhi Governments which have banned firecrackers during Diwali in Delhi) burn crackers as part of their election victories.  So while children all over India enjoy Diwali bursting crackers Delhi kids are deprived and forced to run around black marketers to purchase few crackers at exorbitant prices to keep their children happy.  Today in the evening my Neighbour came with his 5 years old daughter to wish me Diwali and on my enquiry he told that she was crying for two days for crackers, and he could not find them, and he is going again to market to try his luck.   That is the hardship the Children and their parents are put to 

What Government should do before it comes to the ban of Crackers?

Government and the Hon’ble courts including the Delhi HC and Supreme courts should wield the whip cracking down on the following before they pat their backs on the efforts made by them in reducing pollution by banning crackers in Delhi

    Vehicle pollution:   Complete ban on the polluting vehicles specially transport vehicles.   Heavy penalties and immediate impounding of the polluting vehicles and cancellation of the licenses for minimum 5 years. 

2.     Reducing the number of vehicles on the road:  Every possible measure should be taken for reducing the number of vehicles on Delhi roads which are the biggest contributors to pollution in Delhi.    Some of the suggested measures are

• ·        Even Odd formula for vehicles on a permanent basis

 

• ·      Banning or levying heavy fee on people travelling in cars alone.     I often finds the elite socialites who take so much pride in their support for banning crackers in Diwali go in their cars all alone throughout the year, their spouse and each of the children in their respective cars all alone polluting Delhi round the year.    With technology available it is not difficult to spot such vehicles on the road where there is only single passenger and charge from them a heavy fee so that either they use public transport like Metro or pool the cars.  Let these educated and rich socialites do more than just mere `lip service’

3.    Stubble burning in neighboring states:   So many things are invented in the country and in the world, but our governments are not able to find an alternate solution to the farmers stubble burning.    For political reasons there is no ban or even if there is one there is no serious enforcing of the same by our Politicians.   When AAP was not ruling Punjab the Delhi CM used to shout from roof tops about the menace of stubble burning and expressed his inability in controlling pollution as the other political parties ruling neighboring states are not heeding to him, but after coming to power in Punjab he is muted on this issue.    The farmers are burning stubble with vigor and making every day a Diwali for Delhietes  as far as Pollution levels are concerned 

4.    Industrial pollution:   If stubble burning is coming across from the neighboring states, the industrial pollution is the enemy within.     Delhi is full of illegal and unauthorized small and medium size industries operating from residential and non-industrial areas.     The pollution caused by these units and other authorized industrial units in designated industrial areas are enormous.   No political party can dare to touch them and shut them as they are one of the biggest source of funding for elections.   The political parties raise a bogie of livelihood and employment when the question of shutting them comes up and they keep thriving unabated 

5.  Construction activities: Thanks to National Green Tribunal, of late we have been educated of the pollution created by construction activities all round India and specially in NCR.   NGT has swung into action and brought construction guidelines and many times closed down construction activities in NCR.    Strict enforcement of these guidelines not only reduce the air pollution but noise pollution too.

Children all over the India/world enjoy Diwali inter alia burning crackers why to deprive the children of Delhi the fun.    The Delhi population which is putting up and living on with all pollution all-round the year, can surely manage with one more day of pollution.     It is also the question of livelihood of thousands of people who are into manufacture and are part of the supply chain of these crackers.  

If anyone asks me don’t you think banning of crackers will reduce pollution and should not we ban burning of cracker on Diwali in Delhi and/or anywhere else in India, I would borrow Salim Javed dialogue from Deewar to answer them.

Main Akele sign nahi karoonga, Main pehle sing nahi karoonga, ……jaav us aadmi se sign leke avo….. jaav us aadmi se sign leke avo ……….uske baad jis kagaz par sign karne keliye  kahoge us par sign karoonga

Akele Fire Crackers ko ban mat karo, Fire Crackers ko pehle Ban matkaro.   Pehle Stubble Burning ko Ban Karo, Pehle Vehicle pollution ko Ban karo, Pehle Industrial pollution ko Ban karo, Pehle Construction Pollution ko Ban karo………………….. uske baad Fire Crackers ko jaroor Ban karo.  

The Delhi Government should realize that the Pollution created round the year by Construction, Vehicle and Industrial pollution and Pollution by stubble burning during winters are the real Elephant in the room which they are ignoring and burning of Firecrackers are the Butterfly they are happy chasing.  Moreover, who does not know or acknowledge that liquor ruins the health and blow the hard-earned money of people specially from lower strata of the society.    It is hard to digest that Delhi Government who gave liquor licenses left right center for reasons best known to all really bothers about the health of people of Delhi due to pollution  

Lastly there is ofcourse the theory of targeting Hindu festivals which I am not touching upon so that I am not blamed for giving a communal twist

Happy Diwali.  

S. Prabhakar

24.10.2022