Deepavali 2020: What are Green Crackers?

The Karnataka government on Saturday issued a Standard Operating Procedure for sale and bursting of only green firecrackers in the state.

Green crackers were introduced last year, Harsh Vardhan, Union minister of health, described them as “eco-friendly” crackers

The green crackers developed by the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) include flower pots, pencils, sparkles, and chakkar.

Green’ crackers have a small shell size compared to traditional crackers. They are produced using less harmful raw materials and have additives which reduce emissions by suppressing dust.

It is said that the green crackers developed by CSIR do not contain barium nitrate, one of the key ingredients of traditional firecrackers. It has also been proved that green crackers emit 125 decibels of sound, compared to 160 emitted by conventional crackers.

Also, These crackers have been named safe water releaser (SWAS), safe minimal aluminium (SAFAL) and safe thermite cracker (STAR).

According to Deccan Herald, The green alternatives come in two categories: One without barium salt, a chemical considered indispensable for the multi-crore fireworks’ industry, and the other with lesser quantities of barium. Both would lead to 30% to 35% emission reduction.

Fireworks’ manufacturers in Sivakasi, 540 km from Chennai, have entered into MoUs with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), which has developed technology to produce less-polluting firecrackers.