As the festival of light approaches, guidelines are in place to ensure pollution is curbed. The Delhi government recently banned firecrackers till January 1, amid the worsening Air Quality Index (AQI). However, some other states have permitted green firecrackers, which are supposedly less harmful to the environment.
The practice of bursting these “eco-friendly” crackers on Diwali goes back to 2018 when the Supreme Court banned the traditional crackers and promoted green firecrackers, which are less polluting and produce 30 per cent less noise than the conventional ones. According to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), green crackers are made with a reduced shell size, no ash, and minimal use of raw materials and additives such as dust suppressants to reduce emissions with specific reference to Particulate Matter (PM).
The green crackers claim to use zero chemical substances like potassium nitrate, barium nitrate, sulphur, lithium and aluminium, which have 30 per cent lesser emissions. However, several reports dismiss their "green authenticity." Last year, over 2,311 kg of firecrackers were seized in Delhi, and reportedly, not 1 kg was found green.
One can look for CSIR-NEERI stamps or QR codes to identify whether the said crackers are green or not. Secondly, buyers can also check the packaging and see if it has specified the chemical substances used to make these crackers.
The green crackers don’t have barium nitrate, which causes air and noise pollution. Instead, substances like potassium nitrates, which are less polluting, are used to make these crackers.
These crackers contain aluminium, lead, and carbon, which reduces the emission of harmful gases while bursting. Buying them from authorised sellers is also recommended, so don't opt for random vendors. Moreover, a long candle should be used to light these crackers. Make sure to maintain an arm's length distance while burning them.