Normalising Smoke

Over the last three days, they collected all the twigs and leaves from the cluttered ground and dumped them on that part of their apple orchard where they had done a failed experiment with cultivating unseasonal melons.

Young Ahmad and his father had seriously thought that if the experiment succeeded, an army of Youtubers and social media influencers, and journalists would make a beeline for their home and interview them. Like many others in their neighbourhood , they would also shoot to prominence overnight and even the Noida media might follow the suit.

But it did not happen and they again used the uncultivated portion of their land for the same purpose—making charcoal for winters. A mountain of twigs and fallen leaves—all brittle with black, golden and yellow hues—were lying before them.

Ahmad has a strange itch for lighting the leaves and looking at the thick coils of pitch-black smoke rising from them. Over the last 10 minutes, he, at least 5 times attempted, to burn the mountain, but his father had strictly instructed him to wait till he returned from home, located a short walk away, bringing some gunny bags. Ahmad was getting fidgety to rub a stick against a match. Restlessly, standing and sitting as if he was perched on an anthill, unable to find repose.

The smoke rising from the similar mountains in nearby orchards were not only troubling his eyes, but also tempting him to burn his own. Soon, he saw his father coming, carrying three large packaging bags in the crook of his arm. Ali did not wait for a split second and lit the leaves after quickly sprinkling a few drops of kerosene oil on it. Soon, it started burning intensely. Amidst poor visibility, the blaze light up the entire orchards, sprawling over 5 kanals.

A crackling sound emanating from the brittle dead leaves and the twigs lying buried under them could be heard at a distance of few feet. After a few minutes, a big cloud of smoke billowed from the mountain started spreading slowly. Now, it was difficult for Ahmad and his father to see their fellow farmers engaged in the same activity in nearby orchards. The smoke entered the residential houses located a few hundred meters away.

The residents quickly shut their windows and doors to keep it at bay. However, it found its way through the chinks and troubled the inmates. Although rubbing their eyes and coughing heavily, the women carried out their daily chores. A child spewed up, but he continued to watch video on his mother’s smart phone inside one of their uncluttered rooms. Another resident, suffering from a respiratory disease clipped the oxygen mask on his face and tried to sleep. Similarly, the other residents continued their routine tasks.

A few days ago, some experts had said that the burning of dead leaves contributes to smog and haze while lowering the air quality. They had relayed their messages on social media platforms and warned against the burning of leaves and twigs. Even they had suggested the alternate means to dispose of the dead leaves.

But for Ahmad, Ali and other residents, making charcoal is an age old practice and smoke is normal in this season. It is more crucial to ensure enough stock of charcoals for winters. Coughing, breathing issues and even throwing up are all normal.