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There is nothing ‘green’ about firecrackers

Hindustan Times | By
Oct 20, 2019 11:47 PM IST

“Green” firecrackers will produce 70% of the emissions that a regular specimen releases.

Last week, a member of an association of shopkeepers told this newspaper that less than 1% of Diwali firecrackers being sold in Mumbai are “green”. They have predicted that the proportion of such firecrackers will go up in the coming years as less-polluting products are in the process of being developed and certified.

In October, the Union government announced the use of eco-friendly crackers across India.(Representational photo)
In October, the Union government announced the use of eco-friendly crackers across India.(Representational photo)

“Green firecrackers” refer to the specimens that have 30% less air emissions and have lower content of toxic chemicals like barium nitrate. These firecrackers have been developed by eight laboratories, including the National Chemical Laboratory, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology. The new technology is in the process of being transferred to firecracker manufacturers. A Raw Materials Compositional Analysis (RACE) facility has been created in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, the main manufacturing centre of firecrackers, where manufacturers can test samples for chemicals and emissions.

The new firecrackers were expected to hit the market this Diwali, but as dealers in Mumbai have revealed, the wait for less-polluting firecrackers has got longer. Mumbai, which has enjoyed a long spell of good air quality, mostly as a result of a breezy summer and a prolonged monsoon that washed away air pollutants, will have to have brace up for Diwali-induced pollution in the coming weeks.

The campaign to phase out polluting firecrackers now has the backing of the country’s courts. The Supreme Court, on October 23, 2018, placed restrictions in Delhi on the sale of regular firecrackers. In October, the Union government announced the use of eco-friendly crackers across India.

A study by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the country’s main pollution monitoring agency, showed that chemicals used to produce colour and noise can lead to skin infections and could be carcinogenic or cancer causing. A combination of strontium and copper, added to produce purple hues in fireworks, can be carcinogenic. Barium nitrate, used to produce green sparks, can inflame the respiratory system. Lithium, which creates red fumes, and copper, used to produce blue sparks, are toxic. Other chemicals, such as chlorates, can accumulate in body tissues, with potential to cause health issues later.

A test by Awaaz Foundation, a group campaigning against air and noise pollution, found metals such as lead, chromium, phosphorus, sulphur, chlorine, and metal oxides such as sulphur trioxide, phosphorus pentoxide and vanadium pentoxide, all of which are listed under Schedule I Part II of a list of hazardous and toxic chemicals under the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989. An earlier study by Awaaz Foundation found that brands of sparklers had high mercury and lead contents – 14.21 ppm and 16.30 ppm respectively.

Despite the court judgments and government announcements, violators of the ban will not have to worry about being prosecuted, as it is not clear who will book offenders. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), which certifies “green” firecrackers has no powers to prosecute offenders. One cannot argue with NEERI when it says that as a research body it has no power to regulate the use of firecrackers. The police can book offenders for “public nuisance” under the Indian Penal Code, but the section has been a source of controversy, with police facing accusations of misuse.

To be certified as “green”, a product has to be low or neutral in emissions. Experts in explosives have told this newspaper that there is nothing like “green firecrackers”, as the process of combustion will release particulate matter – pollutants suspended in air, toxic gases and chemical residues. “Green” firecrackers will produce 70% of the emissions that a regular specimen releases.

Environment groups want a complete ban on firecrackers, with no concession for “green firecrackers”. Others have suggested community events rather than each family buying and bursting them separately, especially because per capita consumption of firecrackers has gone up. Scientists have said that while the amount of chemicals can be reduced while developing firecrackers, there cannot be “zero emission” fireworks. For them, no firecracker is better than “green” firecrackers.

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