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Here are a few other reasons for the excessive pollution post Diwali till Holi:
Burning of paddy husk in Punjab towards end-October each year is the cause for beginning of the severity of pollution in Delhi. It is there throughout the year.
This is followed by Diwali celebrations with fireworks that cause pollution. Perhaps, a public display of fireworks at various locations in Delhi would be a substitute. On Diwali night of 2014, the PM2.5 was in excess of 8,000 micrograms per cubic metre. Let’s see what 2015 is?
Fireworks are fully loaded with harmful chemicals: 75 percent potassium nitrate, 15 percent carbon and 10 percent sulphur, that belch out toxic gases like NOx, Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Manganese and even Cadmium, besides Green House Gases (GHGs) which irritate the soft and delicate airways of the lungs and worsen the conditions of people with respiratory symptoms like Asthma, COPD, IPF, and Bronchitis.
When winter arrives, typically after Diwali, the temperature gradually starts dropping down. Burning of any waste – tyres, paper, wood, anything that can be burned – by security guards to keep them warm during a very cold night in Delhi – causes avoidable smoke and pollution.
These are among the provoking factors for childhood bronchial asthma, particularly in children between 6 and 12 years, and it has now been established that 26 percent of people, even without any prior history of respiratory ailments, develop symptoms of coughing, wheezing and breathlessness, especially during Diwali time.
The pollution dons a spectrum of health impacts for all, like wheezing; eye, nose and throat irritation; Asthma; disorder in the functionality of central nervous system; headache; cancer and more.
This toxic air has effects on pregnant women and children’s health. It restricts the growth of lungs and brain of the child (embryo). This results in slowing down the brain’s processing speed and behavioral problems.
