Festivals such as Diwali and Dussehra are celebrated with exuberance across India—the sparkle of lamps, the crackle of firecrackers and the joy of togetherness. But beneath this spectacle lies a growing environmental and health challenge: fireworks release massive amounts of pollutants, fine particulate matter, heavy metals and debris into the air, soil and water, causing immediate and long-term harm. For the vision of an “eco-friendly” festival, understanding the actual costs is essential.
The Pollution Spike: What the Data Show
Air Quality Degradation
The burst of fireworks has been scientifically linked to major short-term air-quality deterioration:
- A study of Delhi (2013-2015) found that during Diwali, the burning of fireworks led to significant releases of NOₓ, O₃, and PM₁₀/PM₂.₅, degrading air quality. (mausamjournal.imd.gov.in)
- In Lucknow, one study found that on Diwali night, 12-hour mean PM₂.₅ levels reached ~591 µg/m³, compared with ~159 µg/m³ on a normal night—an increase of nearly 3.9-fold. (PubMed)
- A 2024 report found that fireworks caused up to an 875 % spike in PM₂.₅ levels in some regions across India (14 states over 180 air-monitoring stations) between 2017 and 2023. (business-standard.com)
- A 2025 analysis of Delhi-NCR (Business Standard) observed that post-Diwali, average PM₂.₅ reached ~488 µg/m³ (from ~156.6 µg/m³ pre-festival). (business-standard.com)
- According to Reuters (Oct 2025), New Delhi’s PM₂.₅ levels after Diwali were more than 59 times the WHO annual guideline, and the city recorded an AQI of 442, categorised as “hazardous”. (Reuters)
These data illustrate that fireworks cause clear, measurable spikes in air pollution—especially fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) that penetrates deep into lungs and bloodstream.
Chemical & Heavy Metal Contamination
- In Lucknow, the chemical characterisation of PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ after fireworks showed that heavy metals like Sr, Ba, Bi, Al were up to ~10-30 times higher on Diwali night than pre-festival. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
A study of PM₂.₅ during Diwali in Delhi found the firework event accounted for ~95% of elemental PM₂.₅ on that night, with metals exceeding US EPA screening levels by a factor of ~9.6 to 16.1. (arxiv.org)
Thus, the pollution is not just particulate mass—it's laden with toxic chemical signatures, heavy metals and oxidisers that have long-term ecological and health implications.
Health & Emergency Impacts
- In Ludhiana (Oct 2025), ~80 eye-related injuries during Diwali fireworks were reported, including at least one person losing vision entirely. Hospitals admitted 45 burn injury cases in one week. (The Times of India)
- In Gujarat, during Diwali festivities, emergency medical services recorded a 53% rise in burn-injury cases and a 12% overall increase in emergency calls compared with previous year. (The Times of India)
- Reports emphasise that inhalation of ultrafine particles during fireworks can mimic the effect of smoking ~10 cigarettes a day. (business-standard.com)
From acute injuries (burns, eye injuries) to respiratory distress and chemical exposures, the health burden during and after festival fireworks is significant.
Environmental Fallout
- Fireworks deposit heavy metal-rich debris, oxidisers (e.g., perchlorates), unburnt materials and ashes onto soils and into water bodies. While direct large-scale groundwater contamination studies in Indian festival contexts are fewer, international literature flags perchlorate as a concern for groundwater quality.
The timing of fireworks—often in post-monsoon/early winter—means that particulate matter lingers longer, is trapped by low wind speeds and cooler temperatures, worsening atmospheric loading. (business-standard.com)
Why This Matters: Beyond the Night of Celebration
Acute and Sub-Acute Health Effects
Fine particulates (PM₂.₅) infiltrate deep into the respiratory tract and can cross into the bloodstream:
- They aggravate asthma, bronchitis, COPD, and can trigger acute cardiovascular events like heart attacks, arrhythmias or strokes.
- Studies emphasise infants and young children as especially vulnerable: their lungs are still developing, breathing rate higher, immune defences weaker. A Times of India report noted that PM₂.₅ levels can rise nearly 16 times during Diwali in Delhi-NCR, threatening baby lungs. (The Times of India)
Noise, chemical exposure, stress of haze and reduced visibility also add to psychological discomfort and distress during the post-festival period.
Longer-Term & Ecosystem Effects
- Repeated annual exposure to high particulate levels may contribute to chronic respiratory illnesses, reduced lung growth in children, increased mortality rates linked to air-pollution exposure.
Deposition of heavy metals and oxidisers may impact soil microbial health, water quality and food-chain accumulation (though Indian empirical studies are still limited).
Vulnerable Populations & Equity Concerns
- Urban poor, slum dwellers and those with pre-existing illnesses bear disproportionate exposure—often living in congested areas with limited ability to opt-out of pollution exposure.
- Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with cardiovascular/respiratory conditions are at heightened risk during festival pollution spikes.
Rural and peri-urban zones may lack health-system readiness for spike in pollution-related admissions, and waste/debris clean-up may be slower.
Celebration vs. Costs
While fireworks are deeply embedded in cultural celebration, the environmental and health costs highlight a conflict between tradition and sustainability. When pollution levels exceed healthy limits by several‐hundred-fold, the celebratory moment comes at a significant cost to public health and ecosystems.
What Can Be Done: Towards Eco-Friendly Celebrations
Regulatory & Policy Measures
- Reinforce and enforce bans on high-pollution fireworks; use credible standards for “green crackers”. Data suggest that even “green crackers” still contribute significantly. (business-standard.com)
- Time-limited bursting windows (e.g., one or two hours) to limit pollutant load.
Promote display fireworks in open fields or stadiums rather than individual neighbourhood bursts, reducing dispersed emission sources.
Technological & Material Innovation
- Encourage development and adoption of low-emission fireworks that contain fewer metals, oxidisers and generate less particulate matter.
Explore alternatives: laser-light shows, drones, LED installations or community-based fireworks rather than individual bursts.
Public Awareness & Behaviour Change
- Initiate campaigns informing citizens about the health and environmental risks of fireworks—especially focusing on children, older adults and respiratory patients.
- Encourage voluntary postponement or restraint: fewer bursts, earlier in the evening, use of quieter and low-smoke fireworks.
Promote clean-up drives post-festival to collect debris, thereby preventing soil and water contamination.
Health-System Preparedness & Monitoring
- Health departments should anticipate and prepare for spikes in respiratory/cardiac admissions in the days following festivals and allocate resources accordingly.
- Air monitoring networks should publish real-time data during festivals, enabling citizens to take protective measures (mask-use, indoor stay).
Encourage research and monitoring of heavy-metal deposition and WASH (water, sanitation) implications from firework debris in soils and water bodies.
Community & Equity Focus
- Target vulnerable localities—slums, low-income neighbourhoods—for additional protective measures (clean-air shelters, educational messaging).
Encourage neighbourhood-level decision-making: ask communities whether they want fireworks, and offer alternatives if they choose lower-pollution celebrations.
Tying It Together: Lighting Up Without Choking
The image of light defeating darkness that characterises Dussehra and Diwali is powerful and resonant. But when the air turns opaque, health suffers, children cough, animals scurry, and waste piles up, the message of light becomes dimmed by the consequences.
India is at a critical moment: climate change, urbanisation, and pollution already strain public health. A festival that once symbolised purity and renewal now triggers spikes in pollution and hospital admissions. Yet this also offers an opportunity for innovation, for community reflection, and for reframing celebration in harmony with the environment and health.
If we accept that “festival of lights” can also mean festival of green, then the transformation begins: fewer bursts, clearer skies, healthier air, safer communities. Those minutes of sparkle should not be followed by days of haze, hospital visits or environmental harm.
The challenge is real. But so is the potential. By integrating technology, regulation, social awareness, and alternatives, India can honour its festivals in a way that celebrates light without poisoning the air. Let the light stay in the sky, not in the lungs.
References
Peshin S., Sinha P., Bisht A. “Impact of Diwali firework emissions on air quality of New Delhi, India during 2013-2015.” MAUSAM. (mausamjournal.imd.gov.in)
“Diwali firecrackers cause 875% spike in pollution, reveals new report.” Business Standard, Oct 22 2024. (business-standard.com)
“Chemical characterization of PM10 and PM2.5 combusted firecracker particles during Diwali of Lucknow City, India: air-quality deterioration and health implications.” PMC. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
“How festival firecrackers threaten baby lungs: What science reveals.” Times of India, Oct 15 2025. (The Times of India)
“Diwali night fireworks send PM2.5 levels skyrocketing in Delhi-NCR.” Business Standard, Oct 2025. (business-standard.com)
“Delhi air quality at ‘hazardous’ levels after Diwali fireworks raise PM₂.₅ levels 59 times above WHO limit.” NationThailand (Reuters summary). (nationthailand)
“Toxic smog cloaks India’s capital as Diwali firecrackers push air pollution to hazardous levels.” AP News, Nov 1 2024. (AP News)
“27-yr-old man loses vision, 80 suffer eye injuries during Diwali fireworks.” Times of India, Oct 26 2025. (The Times of India)
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