In A First, Delhi NCR To Celebrate 'Green Diwali', New Firecrackers To Reduce Air Pollution By 30-35%

This Diwali, low-emission ‘green crackers’ with a unique logo and QR code on the packing will be available in the national capital.

As per The Times Of India report the CSIR-National Environment Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) officials said that over 550 emission testing certificates have been given to manufactures. The green crackers will have the same sound and light effect that of a regular cracker but will emit less pollution. The crackers will come with have a QR code which will have production and emission testing details.

The initiative is aimed at reducing air pollution levels which saw a drastic rise during the festive season in 2018. As per the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, firecrackers that cause 30-35% lower emissions of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and 35-40 per cent lower sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are referred to as ‘green crackers’.

Reportedly, more than 70 per cent of the major manufacturers have obtained emission testing certificates from the authorities. The Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (Peso) chief MK Jhala on Monday, September 23, said that around 60 compositions of ‘green’ crackers made by various manufacturers were approved by the authorities for further production.

The production of the green crackers has already started in Tamil Nadu and will be widely available across Delhi-NCR during Diwali.

The need for such crackers came up after the Supreme Court announced a partial ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital in 2018. The apex court permitted bursting of firecrackers between 8 pm to 10 pm on the day of Diwali. However, the order was violated across the city despite police patrolling. Residents later complained that the allowed ‘green crackers’ were not available in Delhi-NCR.

Delhi’s air quality oscillated between ‘poor and ‘very poor’ last Diwali. However, the situation became worse and the Air Quality Index fell to 390 on November 8. The sudden increase in the pollution levels was attributed to the burning of firecrackers and the construction work in the city.

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