As the festival of lights approaches us, the Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, has launched an eco-friendly “green” firecracker; which has been manufactured in India due to concerns over the over air-pollution that usually follows Diwali.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have successfully been able to develop various environment-friendly fireworks such as sound-emitting crackers and sparkles, promising lesser emission. With most of the cracker manufacturers reducing the quantum of barium nitrate in a cracker and replacing it with another chemical, the emission of pollutants is expected to be reduced by 30 per cent and the noise levels are to drop from 160 decibels to 125 decibels.
Dr Vardhan went on to add “I am very happy that on one hand, we would be using eco-friendly crackers this Deepawali, and, on the other hand, our traditional festival celebrations with lights and firecrackers shall remain intact”.
CSIR and PESO are working together to promote low pollutant ‘green’ firecrackers this Diwali.
The Supreme court has also mandated that new formula should be approved by the Petroleum and Safety Explosives Organisation (PESO), articulating the clear definition of green crackers with a view to educate the regulators and the public on the ways to differentiate between green and conventional crackers. A green Logo as well as a Quick Response (QR) coding system has been developed, roping in nearly 165 firework manufacturers.
With officials carrying out massive awareness drives in the country’s capital, local schools and authorities have all been roped in hoping for a Diwali that is eco-friendly. However, with the supreme court giving out an interim order, many manufacturers are pessimist of crackers having the green logo on them.
However, with the court only giving its concurrence only last week, manufacturers have hardly had any time to adhere to many mandates set by the supreme court as most of the stocks have been shipped out to various parts of the country.
