As I was visiting my home in Delhi during Diwali 2021, I was very much looking forward to celebrate the festival of lights together with my family after almost 7 years!
Life Stages of The Firework
History
Birth
Diwali is a festival celebrated all over India and holds significance for Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists. For example, for Hindus, it is said to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya, after his 14-year exile and defeat of King Ravana. Since they returned on a new moon night (Amavasya), the citizens of Ayodhya lit diyas all over to illuminate the city in their jubilant welcome.
Present Day
Maturing
As is the nature of history, traditions evolve. Since then, modern India looks to celebrate the festival of lights with as much pomp and glamour as one can imagine. Fireworks are lit all over the world as part of celebrations, and they have always been quite a pleasing sight for the eyes.
Impact
Ignition
However, as pleasing as it is, a look at the statistics quickly reveals the environmental impact of Diwali celebrations. Fireworks produce high levels of air pollution, and the smoke and particulate matter can cause serious health issues, especially for those with pre-existing respiratory problems.
Consequences of the celebration last all winter. The current AQI is deemed “SEVERE” - even healthy individuals can develop respiratory illnesses.
A 2019 study conducted by researchers in Pune shows that a person can be exposed to anywhere between 4.8 and 64.5 PPM of PM 2.5 within a few minutes. WHO’s air quality guidelines recommend an average of 0.025 PPM as safe.
Visualization
Illumination
Now imagine a population of 1.408B Indian people collectively celebrate Diwali by bursting crackers and fireworks at the same time.
Can’t? Well, that’s why I made this visualization!
India
Note: These are not fireworks.
But they are.
Delhi
Here’s one that zooms in on my city.
Discussion
Fading
Data Source: OpenAQ API Tools: Python (pandas, matplotlib)
What you saw above were the average hourly PM2.5 emissions before and after Diwali (04-11-2021).
The larger “fireworks” seem to be on the day after Diwali. Go figure.
I also posted the dataviz in r/dataisbeautiful where I discussed about the inferences we could make from the visualization.
Footnote
Memory
There have been several initiatives in recent years to encourage eco-friendly Diwali celebrations. For example, people are now opting for handmade diyas or using electric lights instead of fireworks. Some communities have even come together to organize Diwali celebrations that do not involve any fireworks at all.
It’s important to remember that while it’s great to celebrate our traditions and culture, it’s equally important to be mindful of the impact that our actions have on the environment and the health of others. By choosing to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly and responsible way, we can still enjoy the festival while also preserving the planet for future generations.