CPCB Advocate On Firecrackers: In view of increasing pollution across the country, the Supreme Court has banned the burning of traditional firecrackers. If you reside in a state which has banned firecrackers, green crackers can help you enjoy the festivities without violating the ban. Some states have also implemented time-tables for burning these green firecrackers.
But what actually is a green cracker and why did Supreme Court pass this order?
In a conversation with ABP News, Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) lawyer, Vijay Panjwani explained answers to the above questions and also told about the future of these electronic crackers in India.
Know why did Supreme Court pass this order:
Advocate Vijay Panjwani told that firecrackers were initially banned to tackle child labor, but the issue of pollution handling was eventually considered. He said, "Chemicals like Barium, Aluminium and Sulphur are used in firecrackers for light, color and sound, all of which cause a lot of pollution."
In an attempt to reduce air pollution, Supreme Court ordered firecracker manufacturers to reduce the amount of barium, sulphur and other hazardous chemicals in their products. The order was opposed by lawyers representing these companies. However, the Supreme Court stuck to its decision and gave them the option to only manufacture these green crackers.
According to CPCB's lawyer Vijay Panjwani, an organization called Niri has made a formula which is far less polluting yet has the same sound and visual impact as regular firecrackers. However, he also told that according to the Supreme Court's order, firecrackers can only be ignited in areas with Air Quality Index at 'Poor' level or 'Better'. In areas where AQI is worse than 'Poor', firecrackers need to be totally banned.
What are green crackers?
CPCB's lawyer Vijay Panjwani said that Green Crackers are better than traditional firecrackers, when it comes to pollution, as they use very small amounts of Barium, Aluminium and Sulphur. The Supreme Court has given specific guidelines regarding usage of barium in firecrackers.
Due to reduced use of chemicals in green crackers, the possibility of pollution is also greatly reduced. Green Crackers take care of Particulate Matter (PM), which helps reduce pollution without reducing sound impact of these firecrackers. The sound of such firecrackers cannot exceed 125dB.
How to identify green firecrackers?
According to the court order, it is mandatory to put green labels and QR codes on packets of green firecrackers. This has been done to make it easier for concerned authorities to check authenticity and details of these green crackers by scanning the QR Code using a smartphone or computer. The QR Code helps authorities identify fake green crackers, which could then be sent to labs for further investigations.
The main part of this investigation was told to be a sound test, where the sound of authentic green crackers should not exceed 125dB. According to CPCB's lawyer Vijay Panjwani, a large number of regular crackers were sold disguised as green crackers with the help of fake QR codes. The big challenge of making sellers and people comply with the regulations now lies ahead of the authorities.
Govt orders ban of firecrackers in Delhi:
CPCB's lawyer Vijay Panjwani said, "The Delhi Pollution Control Board had banned firecrackers in Delhi even before the Supreme Court ordered the Delhi Government to ban it." The Delhi government has already banned the sale and purchase of all firecrackers, including green crackers.
Advocate Vijay Panjwani said, "In Delhi, a city which has a population of about 20 million, it is very difficult to ensure that orders are fully complied." Delhiites blow up around Rs. 5,000 Crore worth of illegally bought firecrackers every year.
This is what CPCB's lawyer Vijay Panjwani said on electronic firecrackers:
Panjwani also spoke on the design of next-generation firecrackers. He said that we may see electronic firecrackers in the future. These firecrackers would give out the same sound and visual effects without any smoke or pollution. These would help reduce pollution on a massive level, without compromising on the fun of firecrackers.