Once upon a time, there was a firefighter who would spray kerosene at raging flames. The rationale was simple - the house is burning down anyway, why not expedite the process? He was thrown out of his job and declared mentally unstable. Turns out he wasn't wrong; he was just in the wrong city.
Had he been in Delhi, he would have found takers for his worldview - there is pollution anyway, why not add to it by bursting crackers? Research shows that toxic air is reducing the life span of Delhi residents by a decade. So, why not get it over with? As they say, “dhuan dhuan kar do”. The smog on the streets is dense, but not as much as the combination of political failure, whataboutery and public indifference that has made bad air days a part of our calendar.
Collective Resignation
A couple of years ago, we ranted about bad air days. We posted pictures wearing masks, using hashtags such as #righttobreathe, and criticised authorities. Some of us still do, but many have now given up. Instead, many of us are trying to work around it. We are stocking up on medicines and masks, buying air purifiers, opting for WFH, and those who can are leaving the city for a week or two. Not everyone has these options, and those who don't have stopped caring.
But something has changed this year that has brought the illusion… er…delusion of relief to many. Every year, it would be a morning ritual to check the AQI before stepping out. Depending on whether the ranking was ‘very poor', ‘severe' or ‘hazardous', curbs would be imposed and people would prepare themselves for the day ahead. This year, this ritual has become immaterial. Because no matter how bad it looks, the AQI remains in the same range. Multiple reports claim tampering with AQI data and the spraying of water at pollution sensors to keep the numbers at saner levels. Irrespective of whether these allegations are true, people know they cannot trust the data anymore.
So, the lungs are not getting enough oxygen, and the brain is not getting reliable information. We can't breathe, and we can't know either.
We're Still Asking Questions
But, this is not where it ends. Till some years back, Delhiites would ask angry questions to those in power about the capital's annual tryst with toxic air. Ministers and officials would mumble some complex numbers and assure that the issue would be resolved next year - a promise that was never fulfilled. This has changed. Those in the driving seat don't need to answer now. The people are doing it for them.
Try this: post about pollution or crackers in your residential society's WhatsApp group or on social media. Some may express solidarity, but a large section would throw a bunch of questions at you. “Why are farmers burning stubble?”, “What did the previous government do?”, “Why only our festivals are targeted?”, “Can you live without your AC?”, “Delhi was always like this”. The government is not on trial, the citizen is. You are. You have to defend your own questions, justify your demand for clean air.
It is difficult to keep arguing with a headache, sore throat and a persistent cough, so many of us choose silence and repeat to ourselves: this too shall pass.
Swift Policing ... Only On Occasion
Some of us, however, muster enough will and courage to hit the streets. A protest call is given, placards drawn and slogans readied. The venue is India Gate. But as soon as the agitation begins, police arrive and tell the protesters they do not have permission to protest at India Gate (it is a wonder that they spotted the monument in the thick smog). Protesters are detained, loaded onto buses and driven away as senior officers explain why people cannot protest at India Gate, but can do so at Jantar Mantar. The policing is swift, unlike the Diwali night when the two-hour window specified by the Supreme Court for bursting crackers was royally flouted.
So, you can't breathe, can't know how bad the situation is, and can't protest.
What can you do? You can wait. There will be some Supreme Court hearings, some political blame-game and some social media fights. These will keep you engaged till this passes. And when it will, we shall all pretend to forget about it. Until next year.
Sadly, our lungs won't forget. The poisonous air does not discriminate between those who celebrate Diwali and those who don't, those who burst crackers and those who don't, and those who support a particular party and those who don't. One of us may win the debate, but none of us will win the fight to breathe.
(The author is News Editor at NDTV)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
