The Pollution Conundrum for Delhi-NCR and the Measures Available

Every year, whenever the grand festive time of Deepavali(Indian festival of Diyas or Lamps which spreads light) comes, we have the big statistics and question of the pollution that comes up in Delhi-NCR region, and especially in Delhi. We start getting reports of PM level as nine times the permitted limit, at some places as four-five times and so on. The way we get the reports suggest that all this increase in pollution levels is due to the firecrackers, Anars etc that people burn the days before and after the Deepavali festival. Yes people do still burn these, inspite of years of the campaigns against burning of such crackers.

Yet a lot of rise in pollution is due to these two factors:

1)Deepavali comes every year, sometime between 20 October and 15 November. This is the time of early winters. It is a known fact that air does not rises as much during winters as during summers, and so the vehicular and Industrial pollution does not clears up as fast. So, the vehicular and other pollution starts seeing an increase.

2)During the Seven-Eight day cycle around the Deepavali Festival sees an increased movement of people going in and out of Delhi and surrounding regions. This maks for an increase in vehicular traffic and peak and even non-peak times, except for the day after Deepavali, when people are tired after celebrating the festival and many are taking rest.

I believe that the agencies and Governments should focus on the factors 1 and 2 more. Yes, people should be made aware that burning of more firecrackers contributes to an increased pollution, but blaming the festival celebrations alone is not a good way.

Perhaps, people can be incentivised to use public transport more instead of using their own private vehicles.
Also buying more Deepavali goods online can also reduce some of the travel.
Another measure could be to ration the sale of firecrackers per family or person. Now, this rationing is difficult to implement, but not entirely impossible.

And yes, some of the measures like giving incentive for public transport is a measure which should be taken year long instead of for just a small time in a year.