Supreme Court weighs in favour of conditional relaxation on next-gen joined green crackers ahead of festive season
The Centre tells the court the CSIR-NEERI’s report on ‘new generation joined firecrackers’ finds they are different from conventional firecrackers in shell/tube size, formulation, bursting duration, and frequency of bursting, with corresponding reductions in noise, particulate emissions, and solid waste generation
The Supreme Court has agreed to allow a limited and conditional relaxation in the manufacture of next-generation green crackers ahead of the Deepavali festivities. Appearing before a Bench led by Justice M.M. Sundresh, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) recommended that these green crackers comply with noise, emission, and safety requirements and be manufactured by duly licensed producers.
The scientific body suggested that these crackers must adhere to prescribed noise limits, emission brackets, shell size, bursting duration, and frequency, all of which result in significantly reduced noise and emissions compared to conventional joint crackers. The CSIR-NEERI report highlighted a 30% reduction in emissions and a five-fold increase in bursting time duration for the next-generation green crackers.
The court emphasized the need for a balanced approach, considering the concerns of air pollution, especially during winter and the festive season. The court also directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Union government to continue testing barium content in these new-generation green firecrackers.
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