Fire in the sky: on Deepavali and the battle for clean air

​This Deepavali, firecrackers are being burst under legal sanction in Delhi. The Supreme Court, in an order this week, modified a ban it had sanctioned since 2018, allowing the use of green crackers during the festival. While the decision comes with caveats on implementation, it underscores the continuous challenge authorities face in dealing with pressures from cultural norms and economic activity while prioritising public health and environmental safety. The re-introduction of legally sanctioned, less-polluting options marks a shift in government policy after the BJP came to power and aims to accommodate traditional celebrations while acknowledging the severe environmental impact of conventional fireworks in Delhi, which is disproportionately affected by noxious winter sir. This move recognises that for many across India, the use of fireworks is an integral cultural expression of joy during the festival of lights. Furthermore, the firecracker industry supports the livelihoods of lakhs of people, making economic considerations part of the regulatory landscape.

​However, as the history of Delhi’s air pollution shows, the battle for clean air is a complex interplay of meteorology, economic structure, population, and geography. Multiple expert bodies and task forces have deployed science and widespread measurement—at a scale few cities in the world have attempted—to conclude that air quality is impacted by diverse sources: transport, industry, agriculture-waste burning, biomass burning, construction, and road dust at different periods. Evidence also suggests that intervals of extended rains often have the largest effect on improving average air quality levels. While the contribution of firecrackers to the annual pollution problem may be temporary, the data confirms that the resultant spike makes an already bad air situation worse. Allowing the use of scientifically developed ‘green’ crackers—which are estimated to be about two-thirds less noxious—is an effort to tolerate a temporary surge under controlled conditions. This approach seeks to find a middle ground between honouring tradition and minimising harm. But while green crackers represent an improvement over conventional ones, they are not zero-emission products. In legalising this less-effulgent option, governments and courts must be careful not to take the focus away from the need for public commitment to stricter environmental norms rooted in science and reason, and not in hope and faith. There is no alternative to comprehensive, consistent action against all sources of pollution.