Revisiting Diwali in Light of Climate Change

Almost every year, in the month of October, the Indian nation is faced with a crucial fork in the road of morality — to celebrate the holiday season the way they might want to with the bursting of fireworks or to do their part in minimizing air pollution. While this may seem like a straightforward question, neither path is one easily chosen for the general urban public.

It is not new thinking that considers bursting firecrackers on Diwali a decisively bad move as far as air pollution is concerned. One has only to look at the massive spike in the AQI between the third and fourth weeks of October to determine this — from the barely acceptable AQI in the 100s to the devastating 300s. This, in turn, has several consequences for the many in lower economic segments of society. People who do not have proper shelter and are exposed to the near-toxic post-Diwali air, the elderly with comorbidities, people prone to respiratory diseases and, even stray animals that not only have to breathe this air, but also spend the night in fear and a constant state of anxiety. Taking all this into consideration it feels like the only response is not to burst crackers.

This line of thought, however, does not take into account personal experiences tied to the celebration of Diwali. For many underserved sections of society, this holiday is an event, in that it represents a break from the everyday. It manifests as an occasion during which regular daily stressors can be put aside momentarily, the way time flows itself is obstructed, in some senses. While this may not resonate with many elite ways of thinking about Diwali, its celebration, and its contributions to climate change, acknowledging the importance of the holiday and its various modes of representation is an important cornerstone of intersectional thinking.

The role of the government and government policy more specifically plays a crucial role here. As the arbiters of lawful conduct, many state governments imposed either partial or complete bans on the bursting of firecrackers. Offenders of these bans can face anything from six months in jail to a Rs. 200 fine. The local governments further made provisions for the bursting of ‘green’ fireworks with less pollution output between certain hours of the day.

The introduction, implementation, and enforcement of policy measures such as this are coming at a time when they are sorely needed. Currently, alongside the mirth and joy of Diwali, nation-states are tasked with submitting revised NDC’s or Nationally Determined Contributions. These revisions need to be made keeping in line with the current climate situation since the Cop26 UN Climate Summit held in Glasgow last November. However, despite a rapidly worsening climate situation, nations’ emission pledges have still not been enough to curb the rate of decline. Despite all countries agreeing to revise and strengthen their emission pledges, only a handful of countries have since the summit last year. It is thus, that we find ourselves in the curious case of having to forego certain celebratory traditions to ease the plight of the people without access to shelter, fans, and air purifiers. Moreover, policy changes regarding one holiday season are not enough to improve the predicament we find ourselves in — India must, necessarily, strengthen its climate pledge and work towards its achievement. A process that will, necessarily, have to involve private, non-state agents, in its mission of easing the burden of human intervention on our planet.

Sources:

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/diwali-2022-ban-on-fireworks-delhi-mumbai-green-crackers-chandigarh-kolkata-air-pollution-india-2287999-2022-10-21

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/26/current-emissions-pledges-will-lead-to-catastrophic-climate-breakdown-says-un#:~:text=Pledges%20to%20cut%20greenhouse%20gas,according%20to%20the%20United%20Nations.