The state pollution control board, while announcing a ban on all traditional fireworks, has said only ‘green crackers’ could be burst on Diwali for two hours, from 8pm.
However, in the absence of any approved list of green crackers, activists fear the board’s order would only lead to banned fireworks being passed off as green ones.
The Telegraph tried to find out details of the availability of green crackers and how green they are.
Green crackers
The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), a government organisation, has been tasked with preparing the formulation of green crackers.
According to NEERI, green fireworks have a reduced shell and are made of fewer raw materials and additives. Such fireworks must not contain highly toxic materials like lithium, barium, lead and arsenic.
The aim is to reduce the emission of toxic gases, especially highly polluting particulate matter, and cut sound pollution.
Effect
Compared with conventional fireworks, green fireworks emit 30 per cent less PM10 and PM2.5 (both are extremely harmful particulate matter) and 10 per cent less gases.
Green enough?
“No, green fireworks are not green enough. Just inserting the word ‘green’ doesn’t make a product safe and environment-friendly. I couldn’t find any scientific study in the public domain on the impact of green crackers on human health,” said pulmonologist Arup Haldar, who is also an environmental expert.
Haldar pointed out that according to the definition, green crackers will produce 10 to 30 per cent less emission compared with conventional firecrackers.
“But that is not good enough,” he said. “At best green fireworks are marginally better than conventional ones.”
Availability
NEERI sources said their scientists had created the formulations for green fireworks and signed agreements with some companies to manufacture them commercially. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (Peso) is supposed to clear the formulations for commercial production. Peso sources said the agency had on September 7, 2021, given clearance for the production of 169 varieties of green firecrackers. But the NEERI website, updated till September 26, shows that “bulk production of new formulation” is yet to start.