Green crackers are not really green, experts warn

As per the Karnataka government’s order, only green crackers are permitted this Deepavali. But many environmentalists and doctors believe these crackers are not really ‘green’.

The composition of green crackers in India was standardised by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), a lab under the Centre’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). As per the CSIR-NEERI website, these are new or modified formulations that can reduce particulate matter levels by at least 30% compared to conventional crackers.

Environmentalists say no information is available on the exact composition of these crackers, and that no regulatory authorities are monitoring the companies manufacturing them. “What are the raw materials used in these crackers and what is their composition? This is not in the public domain. Given this, manufacturers are arbitrarily using this label, and no one is regulating them. Many ‘green’ crackers are very bright and noisy,” says environmentalist Dr A N Yellappa Reddy.

Dr Sadhana Rayalu, who heads the Environment Material Division of CSIR-NEERI, told DH, that they share the exact formulations of different types of green crackers with fireworks manufacturers. Currently, 1,020 manufacturers are registered with NEERI for using these formulations, she says. Regulatory agencies - the State Pollution Control Boards and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) - are supposed to monitor manufacturers claiming to produce green crackers, and identify spurious products.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) should be testing and certifying green crackers, but this is not happening currently, says Dr Reddy.

Doctors too are sceptical about the efficacy of green crackers. But they say that cases of fire injuries and respiratory ailments post-Deepavali have declined in recent years, possibly due to better awareness and restrictions on cracker use.

Docs warn of high pollution for green crackers

Dr Sundeep Salvi, pulmonologist and President-elect of the Indian Chest Society, says that even with a 30% reduction in PM levels, pollution would still be quite high for green crackers. Dr Salvi was a part of the team that measured firecracker pollution levels in Pune some years ago. “People bursting crackers directly and those watching in the vicinity are heavily exposed to pollutants in their breathing zone. We found that burning a sparkler alone generated PM2.5 levels of 5000 micrograms/cubic metre. Even if green crackers reduce this by 30%, it would be way above the safety limit of 25 microgram/cubic metre.”

Dr Salvi adds that those who are not burning crackers directly would have lesser exposure, but this too would be at dangerously high levels.

Dr Ravindra Mehta, who heads Apollo Hospitals' Advanced Pulmonary Services, says ‘green crackers’ are a good thought, “but we don’t know details like its composition, so we can’t give it a blanket okay.”

What are green crackers and how to identify them?

Green crackers avoid certain elements like aluminium and sulphur that make firecrackers highly polluting. They are also supposed to be less noisy. To identify them, look out for the green logo of CSIR-NEERI and PESO, as well as a QR code, on the cover.