As Delhi turns gas chamber, what should we ban today?

On November 13, a day after the Supreme Court suggested a year-round cracker ban, Delhi woke up to one of its worst bad-air days. Diwali was celebrated on October 31, and 14 days is a period long enough for crackers smoke to clear. That is what brings us to the question — what should we ban today?
The question is pertinent because Delhi saw 61 ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’ air days last year. Bad air is a perennial problem and helps Delhi top the ignominious chart of world’s most-polluted cities.
Delhiites and judges of the Supreme Court, by sheer fortune that it is based in Delhi, get to breathe toxic year all round the year, but come November, everyone realises how bad things have become.
But come November, there’s the need for a fall guy. And there are two — Diwali and parali (stubble). So, why look beyond?
It is a coming together of several factors that make Delhi a gas chamber in November.
A November 5 report by the Hindustan Times, quoting data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), shows Delhi had just 201 days this year when the AQI was 200 or less.
In 2023, Delhi had one ‘good’, 60 ‘satisfactory’ and 145 ‘moderate’ air days, with a total of 206 clean-air days, according to the report.
Spending close to half the year breathing toxic air, there is definitely the need to look for a long-term solution, but the fixation on Diwali and parali might be reducing the visibility.
On November 12, the Supreme Court questioned why there wasn’t a permanent, nationwide ban on firecrackers, and restrictions were applied only during specific months in Delhi. It rightly pointed out that air pollution remains a year-round issue in the national capital.
Though the diagnosis is correct, there seems to be a problem in pinpointing the source of the ailment.
“We are of the view that no religion encourages any activity which creates pollution. If firecrackers are burnt in this fashion, it also affects the fundamental right to health of the citizens,” the Supreme Court observed as it heard a case on air pollution in Delhi.
Air Quality Index (AQI) data for a week around Diwali in Delhi shows firecrackers have no visible impact.
The research on the impact of Diwali on pollution also does not show a long-lasting impact. The research paper titled, ‘Estimates of air pollution in Delhi from the burning of firecrackers during the festival of Diwali’ by Dhananjay Ghei and Renuka Sane didn’t find conclusive evidence on the impact of Diwali fireworks on air quality.
What is also concerning is that perceived solutions have become part of the city’s problem.
The waste-to-energy plants that were first set up under Congress leader Sheila Dikshit have backfired. They are adding to the toxic fumes of Delhi.
There is GRAP for a city grappling with pollution woes, but those are emergency measures that kick in when the situation goes from worse to worse. With the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Delhi will ban one half of its vehicles and cover up its construction sites. Those are all stop-gap measures.
What is the permanent solution, and who is going to come up with it? Those two are the most questions that must be on the minds of gasping Delhiites on November the 13 as the city, once again, turns into a gas chamber. It is time we looked beyond what to ban today.