When the Air Turns Toxic: The Health Impact of Diwali Pollution
- Sunil Khattri
- Oct 21
- 4 min read
Every year, millions of households across India light up the skies with fireworks during Diwali. It’s a festival of light and renewal, but increasingly, it also becomes a week of choking air, burning throats, and emergency hospital visits.
This year again, cities like Delhi, Gurugram, Lucknow, and Patna reported “severe” air quality levels, with several monitoring stations recording AQI above 400, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The haze that lingers for days afterward isn’t just unpleasant, it’s dangerous.
When the air turns toxic, it violates more than our comfort, it threatens and impacts our health severely!
This Year’s Reality: A Nation Choking After the Festival
The day after Diwali, the skies over northern India turned grey with smog. According to recent news, 36 out of 38 air-monitoring stations in Delhi recorded AQI levels in the “red zone”, with four reporting “severe” pollution above 400.
Even cities like Kolkata saw air quality slip into the “poor” category, raising health concerns for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
These reports are a stark reminder that each year, the post-Diwali air grows heavier and the nation’s right to breathe clean air, dimmer.
Understanding AQI: What Do These Numbers Mean?
Every year during Diwali, the term AQI (Air Quality Index) dominates headlines, but what do those numbers really mean?
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a standardized measure used by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to communicate how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is expected to become. It converts complex air-pollution data into a single number and category that’s easy to understand.
Here’s what the numbers indicate:
During this year’s Diwali, Delhi’s AQI ranged from 350 to over 450, placing it squarely in the “Severe” category, a level where even healthy lungs struggle, and hospitals begin seeing a surge in pollution-related emergencies.
The Health Impacts of Diwali Pollution
Firecrackers release fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10), heavy metals, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other hazardous gases. The concentration of PM 2.5 can spike up to eight times higher than safe limits during Diwali nights, staying elevated for several days.
The effect? Immediate respiratory irritation, allergic flare-ups, and cardiac stress — especially among vulnerable groups.
Common and Major Health Problems During Diwali Pollution
Here are some of the most common and serious medical conditions seen during this period:
Respiratory Issues :
Asthma and bronchitis flare-ups: Sudden exposure to high PM 2.5 levels can cause acute breathlessness and wheezing.
Coughing and throat irritation: Even healthy individuals report persistent dry cough or burning sensations in the throat.
Allergic rhinitis: Dust and particulate matter inflame nasal passages, leading to sneezing, congestion, and watery eyes.
Cardiovascular Problems
Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes: Fine pollutants enter the bloodstream, thickening blood and straining the heart.
Elevated blood pressure and arrhythmia: Common among the elderly or those with pre-existing cardiac conditions.
Impact on Children and the Elderly
Reduced lung function in children: Repeated exposure to polluted air impairs lung development.
Higher risk of infections: Children and older adults experience more cases of pneumonia, viral fever, and respiratory infections post-Diwali.
Eye and Skin Irritation
Burning eyes, redness, and watering: Common from smoke and chemical residues in the air.
Skin allergies and rashes: Triggered by exposure to metal oxides and sulphur compounds in the atmosphere.
Neurological and Sleep Disturbances
Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue: Caused by exposure to carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
Insomnia: Firecracker noise and poor air circulation interfere with rest, affecting mental health and productivity.
Doctors across Delhi NCR have already reported a surge in outpatient visits and emergency admissions for respiratory and cardiac complaints following the festival.
What You Can Do: Awareness to Action
Monitor Air Quality : Track AQI in your area through the CPCB or SAFAR app. Avoid outdoor exposure when levels exceed 300 (“Very Poor” or “Severe”).
Protect Your Health : Use N95 masks, air purifiers, and steam inhalation. Keep windows closed during peak pollution hours (early morning and late night).
Prepare for Emergencies : If you or someone in your family has asthma, COPD, or a heart condition, keep emergency medication and doctor contact numbers ready.
Know Your Health Rights : If a hospital delays or denies emergency treatment during a pollution-related crisis, it can amount to violation of Article 21. Every patient has the right to immediate care.
Demand Accountability : Support and promote community awareness against unregulated firecracker use. Report violations to local pollution control boards and health departments.
Final Words
Diwali is a celebration of light, not of smoke. Yet every year, our skies dim with haze and so do the hopes of those struggling to breathe.
As citizens, we share responsibility: to celebrate with awareness, to protect the vulnerable, and to hold our systems accountable when they fail to protect public health.
Clean air is not a luxury; it is a fundamental right. Protecting it is not only a matter of policy it’s a matter of life itself.
The Author :
Dr. Sunil Khattri
+91 9811618704
Dr Sunil Khattri MBBS, MS(General Surgery), LLB, is a Medical doctor and is a practicing Advocate in the Supreme Court of India and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi.
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