Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has defended the use of firecrackers during Diwali, saying that any temporary rise in pollution caused by the celebrations would eventually clear. He questioned why similar concern was not expressed about corruption, which he said had polluted the entire system.
Speaking at a government programme where appointment letters were handed over to more than 1,000 newly recruited junior assistants, Adityanath said his government had not imposed restrictions on Diwali celebrations. Instead, he encouraged people to observe the festival wholeheartedly.
“You must have noticed the hustle and bustle in the markets on Dhanteras. Many people claimed that Diwali caused pollution. Even if it did, it will eventually dissipate,” the chief minister said.
Recalling his presence in Ayodhya during the festivities, he said it was encouraging to see people enjoying themselves and bursting fireworks. He added that discussions about pollution often emerge whenever people celebrate a festival.
At the same event, the Uttar Pradesh government formally released Rs 215 crore to 4,300 beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Durghatna Kalyan Yojana, an insurance and social security scheme for farmer families.
Attack on corruption and previous governments
Adityanath’s remarks came during the annual debate over the impact of firecrackers on air quality during Diwali. Drawing a comparison, he said people rarely questioned those whose corrupt actions had affected the wider system, while criticism intensified when the public used firecrackers for a single day.
“No one questions those who have polluted the entire system with their corrupt deeds, yet if the public sets off some firecrackers for a single day, people start crying ‘pollution’,” he said, adding that any such pollution would clear and was not the central issue.
The chief minister reiterated that the Uttar Pradesh government had decided against imposing restrictions on the celebrations and told people to enjoy the fireworks.
He also targeted governments that ruled Uttar Pradesh before the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2017. Adityanath alleged that festivals were frequently preceded by communal disturbances during that period.
“Before 2017, whenever any festival arrived, whether it was Holi, Diwali, Vijayadashami, Janmashtami, Shivratri, Christmas, Eid, Guru Parv or Makar Sankranti, riots would break out right before them,” he said.
Air quality worsens in Delhi-NCR
In neighbouring Delhi and the National Capital Region, air quality deteriorated sharply on Monday morning, several hours after Diwali celebrations had ended the previous night. Official readings showed the Air Quality Index reaching 483, placing it in the “severe” category.
Private air-quality monitoring organisations, including Swiss company IQAir, recorded AQI levels above 1,000 in some areas.
Former World Health Organisation deputy director Dr Soumya Swaminathan said there was a need to place health at the centre of the discussion on air pollution. She said assessing pollution through health outcomes could encourage action and help measure its effects.
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