No Green Signal For ‘Green Crackers’ Yet As Pollution Checks For Licensing Are Under Way, Says Union Minister

Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday (October 29) said that although “Green Crackers”, which emit less smoke, have been mandated, they will not be available this Diwali but will be shared with the industry soon, reports The New Indian Express.

The technology was developed by the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), said the Minister.

The manufactured crackers were sent to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) for safety checks and to grant licences to manufacturers.

"They will not be available this Diwali. But once granted a licence by PESO, factories like those in Sivakasi will begin manufacturing, and will be available for use on all occasions including weddings throughout the year," the Minister added.

The production of the “green crackers” will continue only after PESO does the safety check due to the high levels of toxic elements like Barium and Aluminium found by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Delhi’s air a day after Diwali in 2016 and 2017.

The new technology will have 20 to 30 per cent fewer particle pollutants, according to the Minister. The cost of manufacturing crackers will come down by 15 to 30 per cent, despite manufacturing techniques remaining the same.

The Supreme Court, in an order passed on 23 October, restricted the bursting of toxic firecrackers and allowed only “green firecrackers” for Diwali and other occasions.