BURNING TOXIC SCRAP FOR WINTER WARMTH

Winter Warning: Let’s Stay Warm Without Warming the Planet

Try to stop burning of Dry leaves mixed with plastic wrappers, Disposable cups, Rubber scraps and even old tyres. 

By Arpita Arora , GKE1

Step outside on a winter morning in Delhi.

Can you smell it?

That sharp, smoky bite in the air that settles in your throat before the day has even begun.

As we pull on our warm jackets, sip hot tea, and retreat indoors, thousands of people spend their days—and nights—out in the cold. Security guards standing at gates, drivers waiting in parked cars, sanitation workers on early-morning rounds, construction labourers braving the chill—many of them have only one way to keep warm.

They light a fire.

But what are they burning?

Dry leaves mixed with plastic wrappers. Disposable cups. Rubber scraps. Sometimes even old tyres. 

What feels like a small fire for warmth quietly turns into a cloud of toxic smoke, adding to Delhi’s already suffocating winter air.

We already know winter in Delhi means pollution alarms, smoggy skies, and rising health concerns. Vehicular fumes, construction dust, industrial emissions, and stubble burning push air quality into the “severe” zone. Now imagine what happens when plastic and waste are added to that mix. These fires release poisonous gases and fine particles that enter our lungs—affecting children, senior citizens, and anyone with breathing or heart conditions.

The irony is painful.

In trying to survive the cold, we are all forced to breathe more poison.

But here’s the truth we often forget: this is not about carelessness—it’s about survival.

No one chooses to burn waste if they have a safer option.

So let’s pause and ask ourselves:

• Do I have an extra sweater lying unused?
• A blanket stored away “just in case”?
• Gloves, socks, or a jacket I no longer wear?

That single item could mean the difference between a toxic fire and a warm, dignified night for someone else.

Imagine if every colony, market, school, or office took responsibility for the people who work there. Residents’ welfare associations could organise simple winter donation drives. Employers could ensure guards, drivers, and support staff are properly equipped. Even a polite conversation—“This smoke is harmful, let us help you with something warmer”—can make a powerful impact when backed by action.

Clean air and compassion don’t have to be separate causes.

They go hand in hand.

This winter, let’s make a conscious choice.

Let’s share warmth—not smoke.

Let’s protect lives—without polluting the air we all breathe.

Because staying warm should never mean harming the planet.