After a two-year ban on bursting crackers, the UT administration allowed the use of green crackers, but only on Dussehra, Diwali, and Gurpurb.
Green crackers can be exploded from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Diwali and Dussehra (for burning effigies), and from 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Gurpurb, according to a meeting presided over by UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit.
The decision was made after the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee issued a report stating that the city’s air quality during Diwali in 2020 and 2021 was moderate/satisfactory.
How eco-friendly crackers are made?
Green crackers, also known as eco-friendly crackers, are made from alternative raw materials that emit pollutants at a 30% lower rate than their conventional counterparts, resulting in a lower environmental impact and fewer health risks.
They are free of aluminium, barium, potassium nitrate, and carbon, making them environmentally friendly. They are also quieter, thanks to the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, a subsidiary of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Green crackers were permitted in Mohali and Panchkula for the past two years, but crackers were prohibited in Chandigarh. In 2018, the Supreme Court allowed the sale of green crackers with the condition that fireworks take place only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Welcoming UT’s decision, president of the Chandigarh Crackers Dealers’ Association, Devinder Gupta said, “Lifting of the blanket ban will help traders tide over the huge losses suffered over the past two years.”
