A recent investigation by the Awaaz Foundation, an anti-noise pollution NGO, has revealed alarming findings about the composition of firecrackers. Even the crackers that are labelled "green crackers" contain harmful substances.
The NGO conducted independent chemical tests on 22 types of firecrackers on Tuesday, November 7. Shockingly, 14 of these were found to contain barium. Interestingly, 13 of those crackers were labelled as "green crackers."
In 2018, the Supreme Court banned barium due to its harmful effects on human health. Firecrackers get their green hue from the use of barium. In addition, it serves as a stabilising agent to prolong the items' shelf life. It may irritate the skin, create pain in the throat, nose, and lungs, or even harm the eyes and impair vision.
The Awaaz Foundation has alerted Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about these findings. This is not the first time the NGO has raised such concerns. Similar reports were sent to the CM's office in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Since 2018, the NGO has been testing firecrackers chemically.
The tests have shown that many firecrackers contain undisclosed substances. Some of these chemicals are listed as harmful under the "Manufacture, Storage, and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules 1989" of the Environment Protection Act of 1986.
According to the regulations, the green crackers should not contain any prohibited substances. They should also carry QR codes confirming the non-usage of banned substances. But in 2018, the NGO found that the majority of these codes were fake.
In October 2021, the Supreme Court cited Awaaz's studies and observed that mislabeled boxes were being distributed with prohibited chemicals labelled as "green crackers."
Green crackers are marketed as lower-emission crackers created under the NEERI. They are allowed on the market as long as they don't include any prohibited substances during manufacturing.
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