It’s alarming that India’s capital, New Delhi, has witnessed the worst pollution in recent years, as per the article, ”Poor feel the full blast of air pollution”, Gulf News, December 3.
It’s sad that a majority of the poor people can’t even afford to have purifiers or masks to protect them from pollution. The reading of the pollutants in the atmosphere is 10 times more than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation. The increase in number of automobiles and carbon dioxide emissions from industries and diesel generators and power houses are on high.
The latest crises started after the celebrations which took place for the festival of Diwali. Millions of fire crackers were set off in the air, thus polluting the environment. This is what happens to Delhi every year after Diwali. This festival is celebrated throughout India with the same pomp and fervour, but it’s always Delhi that is worst affected.
People should act more responsibly. The youth should join hands and create awareness among people before such festivals, so that people refrain from burning crackers. It would be impossible to stop bursting crackers altogether, but steps can be taken to reduce it by putting a restriction on the type of crackers used. I do understand festivals come once a year but the aftermath is so huge, it takes Delhi days and weeks to come back to normal life.
One day of happiness ruins the lives of many, especially those who suffer from heart ailments and other health issues. Healthy children can also be affected. I hope the residents of Delhi will wake up and realise the harm they are doing to themselves. There is no point holding rallies and celebrating days like “Earth Day” and “World Environment Day” if such practices are not implemented.
- The reader is a logistics manager, based in Dubai.
