The festival of lights Diwali has left behind a lot of residue in air, land and water. Yesterday I returned home after work and felt very uneasy with slight fever and nausea. I was unsure about the cause of the symptoms. I called my friend today and he also had diarrhoea and fever since yesterday. I learnt from the papers that the city was hammered by air pollution due to the discharge of suspended particles from the bursting of crackers. Now I understood the reason for my queasiness. Some of the common diseases that have affected the city due to pollution are cough, allergies, bronchitis, skin and eye irritations. The noise pollution was also well above the prescribed limit on Diwali day. Some people even kept on bursting crackers even after the stipulated time limit. Crackers are a major source of suspended particulate matter that emit harmful oxides polluting the air. They also tend to settle down on water bodies and farm lands which will affect us indirectly. Doctors advice intake of anti-allergic pills during Diwali time.

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