Days before Diwali celebrations took off, the national capital of India, Delhi has already logged 211 in the Air Quality Index (AQI), categorizing the quality as ‘Poor’. The Central Air Quality Management (CAQM), as a result, imposed Stage 1 measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR, which will ensure dust control measures, including the use of anti-smog guns around the construction and demolition sites and areas with higher AQI. As Delhi prepares itself for Diwali, this year, the Supreme Court of India allowed the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in the city, after lifting last year’s blanket ban on all crackers. The Supreme Court permitted the sale between October 18 and 21 and limited the timings to 6-7am and 8-10pm.The Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai said, “We have to take a balanced approach permitting it in moderation while not compromising with the environment.” However, what one needs to understand is whether green crackers really work for the environment. Are Green Crackers Also Health Threats? While it is true that green crackers are designed to cut emissions of particulate matter and harmful gases by 30 to 40% and keep the noise levels below 120 decibels, a joint study by Delhi Technological University (DTU) and IIT Roorkee shows that even green crackers release large volumes of ultrafine particles. These particles are smaller than 100 nanometers and can penetrate deep into the lungs. Dr Rajeev Kumar Mishra, who is the senior researcher at DTU as reported by The Indian Express, said that more research must be done to assess atmospheric emissions of green crackers and their health impacts. These small particles present in the green crackers can also become a hinder for people with existing pulmonary and respiratory issues, asthma, COPD, and heart problems. Green crackers also emit fine and ultrafine particles like PM2.5 and PM1, and they are tiny enough to go deep in the lungs and even enter the blood streams. These tiny particles also contain small amounts of metals and chemicals which can cause breathing problems or worsen the issues in people with existing breathing problems. Many experts also note that green crackers, while producing less sound, still exceed safe auditory limits. It can also cause relentless or disturbed sleep. What Are The Health Risks? As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution can lead to stroke, ischaemic heart disease, CPOD, lung cancer, pneumonia, and cataracts. Dr Sanjay Jain, a Delhi-based ENT and a member of DocTube also noted an increase in the number of patients with respiratory issues. "I have seen a notable increase in patients with upper respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis, which are directly linked to rising pollution levels," he says. From his experience, he has noticed a rough increase of 30 to 40% of patients with pollution-related ENT issues. Dr Jain says that prolonged exposure to pollution can cause chronic ear infections in children due to inflammation in the Eustachian tube. "This is not commonly recognized by people," he says. The act of burning firecrackers emits harmful and toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, which facilitate air pollution. This can cause health problems including skin irritation, respiratory issues, cancer, and asthma.
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