'Banning Crackers Is Wrong': Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai Criticises Delhi Govt's Decision

Notably, stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana accounted for only 4.4 per cent of the pollution, which contributed to the capital's deteriorating air quality

Former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai criticised the Delhi government's decision to ban firecrackers during Diwali, describing the move as "draconian" and "totalitarian." He highlighted that pollution in Delhi is not primarily caused by the use of firecrackers.

Pai wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), “Banning crackers is wrong. People can burst green crackers, you can stop highly polluting crackers. All do not agree, many are very upset at this draconian totalitarian move. Pollution is not caused there by crackers. See the data. Crackers are there for 3-4 days, pollution year around." 

Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal urged Delhi, residents on Wednesday to avoid bursting firecrackers this Diwali, encouraging them instead to celebrate with diyas, as the festival of lights is meant to focus on illumination rather than noise.

At a press conference, he said, “Even the Supreme Court and High Court say that in view of the pollution, we should not burst crackers; we should light diyas. This is the festival of lights and not fireworks. It is not as if we are doing a favour to anybody. Whatever pollution will happen, our children will suffer from it, so there is no Hindu-Muslim in this. Everyone’s life is important.” 

Meanwhile, a recent report from the Centre for Science and Environment revealed that Delhi's air quality has worsened from "poor" to "very poor." Notably, stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana accounted for only 4.4 per cent of the pollution, which contributed to the capital's deteriorating air quality.

The non-governmental organisation reported that vehicular emissions are the primary contributor to pollution in Delhi, accounting for over half of the city's total pollution levels. Following this, residential burning contributes 13 per cent, while industrial activities account for 11 per cent. Construction-related activities also play a role, contributing 7 per cent to the overall pollution. 

These findings highlight the diverse sources of air quality degradation in the capital, emphasising the need for targeted interventions to address each contributor effectively.