Firecrackers are undoubtedly a threat to environment and our health, but it may not be possible to accurately measure how effective this ban will be
The Supreme Court of India recently banned the sale and stocking of firecrackers in the National Capital Regionuntil November 1, barely 10 days before Diwali. Will the move have an impact on Delhi's air? And if it will, how will it be gauged? Siddharth Singh demystifies the order and its implication for Business Standard.
economy today: In banning the sale and stocking of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court cited studies that showed firecrackers led to a spike in pollution, which is hardly unobvious. That something must be done about air pollution in Delhi is a forgone conclusion – after all, between 10,000 and 30,000 people are estimated to die every year because of it.
After news of the firecracker ban spread, the usual cycle of brouhaha ensued, with culture warriors perceiving it as an attack on the Hindu faith and demanding concessions from other religions. The absurdness of this argument aside, they also cited – correctly – that pollution is not merely caused by firecrackers on Diwali.
After news of the firecracker ban spread, the usual cycle of brouhaha ensued, with culture warriors perceiving it as an attack on the Hindu faith and demanding concessions from other religions. The absurdness of this argument aside, they also cited – correctly – that pollution is not merely caused by firecrackers on Diwali.
In fact, much of the pollution comes from road dust, agri residue burning, electricity production and road transport. The effort on these other fronts has unfortunately been incremental and slow. On the other hand, the firecracker ban impacts the celebration of an important religious festival in India. Therefore, air pollution levels before and after the ban will be observed closely by all....READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment