Bhogi smog shrouds many parts of Chennai; airport visibility drops to 300 metres

The incident of dense smog shrouding Chennai during the Bhogi festival, significantly reducing visibility at the airport, serves as a stark reminder of the environmental challenges India faces, particularly the delicate balance between cultural traditions and ecological sustainability. Bhogi, celebrated a day before Pongal in South India, traditionally involves people discarding and burning old household articles, agricultural waste, and other unwanted items. While intended to symbolize new beginnings and the cleansing of the old, this practice often leads to severe air pollution, especially in urban areas.

**Background Context and What Happened:**

Historically, the practice of burning waste during Bhogi was perhaps less impactful when populations were smaller and cities less dense. However, with rapid urbanization and increased consumption, the volume of waste burned has grown exponentially, leading to a significant release of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and other harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. In Chennai, on Wednesday morning, the concentration of these pollutants created a thick blanket of smog, reducing visibility at the Chennai airport to a mere 300 metres. This level of visibility is critically low for aviation, posing serious safety risks. Fortunately, airlines, anticipating the recurring issue, had proactively rescheduled flights, which helped keep cancellations to a minimum, mitigating immediate economic disruption but highlighting the predictable nature of this annual environmental hazard.

**Key Stakeholders Involved:**

Several stakeholders are directly or indirectly involved in this issue. **Citizens** are the primary participants in the Bhogi traditions and also the direct sufferers of the air pollution, experiencing health impacts. **Airlines and Airport Authorities** (like the Airports Authority of India - AAI) are key operational stakeholders, whose daily functioning is severely hampered by poor visibility, leading to potential delays, cancellations, and safety concerns. **Local Municipal Corporations** (e.g., Greater Chennai Corporation) are responsible for waste management and public awareness campaigns. **State Pollution Control Boards** (e.g., Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board - TNPCB) are regulatory bodies tasked with monitoring air quality and enforcing environmental norms. The **State Government** and the **Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)** are crucial for policy formulation, funding, and broader environmental governance.

**Significance for India:**

This incident holds immense significance for India. Firstly, it underscores the pervasive problem of air pollution across Indian cities, which consistently rank among the most polluted globally. Air pollution has severe public health implications, leading to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and premature deaths. The economic cost of this health burden, coupled with productivity losses due to illness and disruptions like flight delays, is substantial. Secondly, it highlights the challenge of balancing cultural practices with environmental protection. Many traditional festivals, including Diwali, Holi, and Ganesh Chaturthi, have environmental footprints that need to be addressed through sustainable alternatives. Thirdly, it brings to the fore the effectiveness of environmental governance and policy implementation. Despite existing laws and repeated warnings, the annual recurrence of such events suggests gaps in enforcement and public awareness.

**Constitutional Provisions and Policies:**

India's commitment to environmental protection is enshrined in its Constitution. **Article 21**, the 'Right to Life and Personal Liberty,' has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to implicitly include the 'right to a clean and healthy environment.' This makes the government legally obligated to protect citizens from pollution. Furthermore, **Article 48A**, a Directive Principle of State Policy, mandates that 'the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.' This article places a duty on the state to proactively work towards environmental betterment. To operationalize these principles, India enacted key legislation such as the **Environment (Protection) Act, 1986**, which is an umbrella act for environmental protection, and specifically, the **Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981**, which aims to prevent, control, and abate air pollution. The government has also launched initiatives like the **National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)** in 2019, with a target to reduce particulate matter concentration by 20-30% by 2024 in 131 non-attainment cities, including Chennai. However, the Bhogi smog incident indicates that much more needs to be done in terms of public participation and enforcement.

**Future Implications:**

The recurring nature of Bhogi smog necessitates a multi-pronged approach. There is a strong need for robust public awareness campaigns, not just before the festival but throughout the year, promoting eco-friendly alternatives for waste disposal and celebrating traditions symbolically without burning. Local administrations need to improve waste collection and recycling infrastructure to provide viable alternatives to burning. Stricter enforcement of anti-pollution laws by pollution control boards, coupled with real-time monitoring and public disclosure of air quality data, can also act as deterrents. Furthermore, the incident underscores the broader need for sustainable urban planning, green infrastructure, and a circular economy approach to waste management. The long-term implications involve a shift in societal attitudes towards environmental responsibility, ensuring that cultural heritage thrives in harmony with a healthy planet for future generations. Ignoring these issues will only exacerbate public health crises and economic disruptions, hindering India's progress towards sustainable development goals.