What are Green Firecrackers
Green firecrackers, known as ‘eco-friendly’ crackers, are designed to have a significantly lower environmental impact, promoting sustainable and festive vibes across the national capital.
They were first designed by the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), under the aegis of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2018.
These crackers do not contain barium nitrate, which is the most dangerous ingredient in conventional crackers.
Green crackers use alternative chemicals such as potassium nitrate and aluminium instead of magnesium and barium, as well as carbon instead of arsenic and other harmful pollutants.
Regular crackers also produce 160–200 decibels of sound, while that from green crackers is limited to about 100–130 decibels.
They are not entirely pollution-free but are claimed to cause about 30% less particulate matter pollution compared to conventional crackers.
Types of Green Firecrackers
Presently, three brands of green crackers are available for purchase:
SWAS (Safe Water Releaser): These crackers release water vapour as they burst, which helps to suppress the dust and particulate matter generated. These crackers do not use sulphur or potassium nitrate. Thus, they can control particulate matter (PM) emissions by up to 30%.
STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker): Like SWAS, STAR also does not contain sulphur and potassium nitrate. It also has lower sound intensity compared to traditional crackers.
SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium): These crackers use a minimal or no amount of aluminium and replace it with magnesium, leading to a reduction in levels of pollutants.
Identification and Regulation
Green crackers can be differentiated from conventional crackers in retail stores by a green logo printed on their boxes, along with a Quick Response (QR) coding system.
Green crackers can currently only be produced by licensed manufacturers approved by the CSIR.
The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is tasked with certifying that the crackers are made without arsenic, mercury, and barium, and are not loud beyond a certain threshold. (PESO is an office under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industries. It was established in 1898 as a nodal agency for regulating the safety of substances such as explosives, compressed gases, and petroleum.)
Concerns regarding Green Crackers
Green crackers can only be legally manufactured by firms that have signed agreements with the CSIR. No small-scale or cottage industries can manufacture green crackers, which, coupled with a ban on traditional fireworks, would leave many unemployed at this time of the year.
There is a general lack of awareness among both sellers and the public on how to identify genuine green crackers.
It has also been revealed that most customers prefer traditional crackers due to a lack of availability of green crackers or because of their higher prices.
The government should ensure that the production of green fireworks is sanctioned to small manufacturers, which will help tackle the problem of scarcity of green crackers.
People should be made aware of the benefits of green crackers and how to recognise their genuineness.
