Thiruvananthapuram’s collector, Navjot Khosa, has issued orders limiting the bursting of firecrackers for Deepavali - which will be celebrated on Saturday, November 14. The new orders allow a 2 hour window for crackers to be burst in the district. Between 8 pm and 10 pm, firecrackers can be burst in the district. The new orders also limit use of crackers on Christmas and New Years’ Eve, allowing crackers to be burst for 35 minutes, between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am on both days.
The collector further states that only green crackers would be allowed to be burst in the district, in order to reduce air pollution. Green crackers are made with a reduced shell size, and produce 30 percent to 35 percent less emissions compared to the normal crackers. These types of crackers emit 125 decibels of sound, as compared to 160 decibels emitted by non-green crackers.
These crackers are also supposed to have ingredients that substitute some of the raw materials to reduce PM 2.5 particles, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emission. Further, according to studies by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), the firecrackers produce water molecules when burst and as a result, absorb dust. They also do not contain chemicals such as lithium, barium, lead and arsenic.
There are three types of green crackers Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers. Companies can get into an agreement with the CSIR’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to get their recipe to make green crackers. Apart from a ‘green fireworks’ logo, QR codes on the green crackers’ packets can help people scan and identify them. However, environmentalists are still skeptical about the effectiveness of green crackers in reducing air and sound pollution.
The district collector also added that the restrictions on firecrackers were being placed in the district, as per the directions of the home department. States such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh too have issued orders stating that only green crackers can be burst in the state.