GREEN FIRECRACKERS: CAN “LESS POLLUTING” CRACKERS BALANCE FESTIVITY WITH CLEAN AIR?

Why In News?

The Supreme Court relaxed the blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR and allowed limited use of certified green crackers.

What Are Green Firecrackers?

• Definition: Green firecrackers are fireworks with smaller shells, no ash and additives such as dust suppressants that reduce emissions, especially particulate matter.  

• Developer: They were developed in 2018 by CSIR’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, following a Supreme Court direction. 

• Lower, Not Zero, Pollution: They emit about 30–40% less particulate matter than conventional crackers, but they are not pollution-free.

Key Differences From Conventional Crackers

What Are The Main Types Of Green Crackers?

Three Approved Variants

• SWAS (Safe Water Releaser): Releases water vapour that suppresses dust and dilutes harmful gases, cutting emissions by about 30%. 

• STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker): Uses a reformulated mixture with reduced potassium nitrate and sulphur, lowering gas and noise emissions.  

• SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium): Uses minimal aluminium and more magnesium, cutting metallic dust. 

Certification

• Two-Step Approval: CSIR-NEERI certifies the formulation, while the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) licenses manufacturers.  

• Identification: Genuine green crackers carry a green CSIR-NEERI logo and an encrypted QR code that buyers can scan to check authenticity.  

How Firecrackers Pollute?

• Metal Salts For Colour: Firecrackers use metal salts to produce colours, which release toxic particles when burnt.  

• Barium gives green, strontium gives red, copper gives blue and sodium gives yellow.

• Oxidisers And Fuels: Compounds such as potassium nitrate, sulphur and aluminium produce gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, along with fine dust. 

• Fine Particles: PM2.5 and PM10 from firecrackers enter the lungs and can worsen asthma and heart disease.  

• Noise: Loud bursts can harm hearing, especially in children, the elderly and animals.

• Winter Smog: Diwali falls in October–November, when low winds, cold air and stubble burning already trap pollutants over north India. Firecracker emissions add to this load. 

Regulatory Framework On Firecrackers

• Article 21: The Supreme Court reads the right to life to include the right to a clean environment and clean air.  

• Key Laws: Firecrackers are regulated under the Explosives Act, 1884, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. 

Key Court Rulings

• Arjun Gopal vs Union of India (2018): The Supreme Court banned barium salts in firecrackers and directed the development of green crackers. It allowed bursting only during fixed time slots. 

• National Green Tribunal (2020): In November 2020, the NGT imposed a near-total ban on firecrackers during the Diwali season in Delhi-NCR and other highly polluted cities.

• Supreme Court Order (October 2025): The Court allowed the sale and bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR from 18 to 21 October 2025. Bursting was limited to 6–7 am and 8–10 pm, only QR-coded, NEERI-certified crackers were allowed, and e-commerce sales were banned. 

What Are The Key Challenges With Green Crackers?

Still Polluting

• Reduced, Not Removed: Even green crackers emit fine particles and gases. In an already polluted city, a 30% cut may not stop air quality from turning severe.  

Weak Enforcement

• Fake Green Crackers: Conventional crackers are often sold with fake “green” labels or smuggled in from other States. 

• Example: While relaxing the ban in October 2025, the Supreme Court observed that crackers smuggled into Delhi-NCR cause more damage than green crackers. It ordered that sellers found with crackers from outside the region would lose their licences.  

• Poor Compliance: Bans and time limits are often ignored. 

• Example: In November 2024, after Diwali, the Supreme Court remarked that the firecracker ban had hardly been implemented in Delhi and pulled up the Delhi government.  

Livelihoods And Safety

• Industry Dependence: Thousands of workers, especially in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, the hub of India’s firecracker industry, depend on this sector. Sudden bans hurt their livelihoods. 

• Factory Accidents: Unsafe working conditions in firecracker units often lead to deadly explosions. 

Way Forward 

Cleaner Celebrations

• Community Displays: Licensed, community-level fireworks displays can replace scattered private bursting and are easier to regulate.  

• Example: Singapore banned the private use of firecrackers in 1972 for safety reasons and allows only licensed public displays. Its celebrations continue without widespread private bursting.  

• Modern Alternatives: Laser shows and drone light shows can offer festive spectacle with almost no air pollution.  

Stronger Regulation

• Strict Certification: Expand QR-code checks and random testing to stop fake green crackers.  

• Better Formulations: CSIR-NEERI and industry should keep improving formulations to cut emissions further.  

Protecting Livelihoods

• Skilling And Transition: Train firecracker workers in safer green manufacturing and offer alternative livelihoods in clusters like Sivakasi.  

• Link To Clean Air Goals: Firecracker policy should be part of wider clean-air plans such as the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which aims to cut particulate pollution in cities by up to 40% by 2025–26.  

Conclusion

Green firecrackers offer a middle path between tradition and clean air, but they reduce pollution rather than remove it. A lasting solution needs strict enforcement, cleaner alternatives such as community and light shows, and fair support for workers in the industry.

Source: THEHINDU