Gasping for breath

Should Diwali be the time to discuss air pollution? Ideally not. While growing up, we didn’t have to deliberate on air pollution. I remember crackers so loud that our entire house would reverberate. In Kolkata, achieving notorious status were the ‘chocolate bomb’ and ‘dodoma’. While the former would make you jump out of your skin, the latter would do it twice (it would explode once at ground level and then up in the sky). I hated them all — the deafening bombs, the unpredictable rockets. My only favourites were the ‘charka’ and the humble sparkler, ‘phuljhuri’ — all light, no sound, and little smoke. But the times have changed — Indian cities are bursting at the seams and its impact is being felt in the air and water.

But are fireworks around Diwali festivities the sole contributor to the noxious air? Absolutely not. But can we use this time to draw attention to this long-standing air emergency? Yes because it is a trigger. Our cities are so delicately stationed that any major occurrence, natural or man-made, threatens to tip the balance. Discussing air pollution around the festival of lights can be quickly polarising. It assumes an anti-religious colour even though the intent is far from doing so. The reality is that India is one of the world’s most polluted countries and Delhi is infamous for being the world’s most polluted capital city (especially after Diwali). How can we not talk about it? And why aren’t we doing enough?

The centre and state seemed to be in a deadlock where Delhi is concerned; the yearly banning of crackers is hardly effective; and experts go hoarse asking for solutions at the source of pollution rather than short-term fixes such as artificial rain and smog towers. Years have passed in trying to resolve the issue of toxic air. Plans have come and gone and yet we haven’t found a handle on this problem. Every year, the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab continue to burn stubble, the vehicular and construction activities worsen pollution, citizens suffer, the old and sick struggle to recover from existing health conditions which the pollution further exacerbates, Delhi NCR chokes, and the cycle continues.

Those who are fortunate have escaped to cities with better air quality but it’s only a matter of time before the pernicious air catches up. Because such is our complacency that leave alone reducing the air pollution in some known offender cities, others such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata are rallying to join the ranks — some races should never be won. Increasing levels of pollution is the worst outcome of rapid urbanisation and infrastructure development. We can’t step off the growth pedal but neither can we afford to leave behind unlivable cities. Of the 30 cities in the world that have alarming air quality, 21 are in India, and the repercussions are fatal.

A study released by Lancet in July this year carried grim tidings — 7.2 per cent of all deaths in 10 Indian cities was linked to air pollution. Conducted by an Indian-led team, the study investigated the levels of cancer-causing microparticles, called PM2.5 pollutants, in Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Shimla, and Varanasi. Leading the charge was Delhi with 12,000 deaths or 11.5 per cent of all its deaths in a year. Between 2008 and 2019, over 33,000 annual deaths were connected to PM2.5 exposure. At 60 micrograms per cubic metre, India far exceeds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 15 micrograms. Virulent air is not good for business either — a report by global consulting firm, Dalberg, calculates the annual impact of poisonous air to be USD 95 billion; that’s 3 per cent of our GDP (gross domestic product)!

Is it all gloom and doom? Well, it may well be if we continue to labour under misconceptions. The plight of Indian metros shows a deep disinterest among authorities and stark ignorance among the citizens. Just look at the number of Instagram reels showing half-brained twits merrily bursting smoke-filling crackers, and you’ll know exactly where we stand! These are so-called “educated” people who profess defiance when asked to curb their cracker bursting enthusiasm because “hey! It’s once a year”, “this is an attack on our religion”, “why should we sacrifice our fun?”. Of course, a day in the year isn’t the only reason behind our breathlessness, but isn’t it the time to show our commitment to the environment and the young and ailing? What are you teaching your children? Ironically, most of these imbeciles are reproducing like it’s going out of fashion — only to leave behind a broken, uninhabitable world for their progeny.

Lowering and enforcing pollution limits, as mentioned by the Lancet study’s co-author Joel Schwartz of Harvard University, “will save tens of thousands of lives per year”. What’s missing is the collective will of governments and the people. We have taken for granted that the air will be unbreathable, the water not potable, the roads full of potholes, and power outages common. We, the citizens, have accepted this unhealthy life, not demanding effective use of the taxes that we pay, not holding accountable our political representatives, and reconciling to the fact that our next door neighbour will remain daft, and the next generation will have to pay for our sins.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal