Comprehensive Measures for Cleaner Air in Delhi-NCR Region- Firecracker ban in Delhi 

• Firecrackers ban: The Government of Delhi has completely banned manufacturing, storage, sale and use of firecrackers within the capital city.
• Collaborative plans: There has been demand for convening a meeting of all NCR states to collaboratively develop an action plan to tackle pollution during the winter season and adopt a firecrackers ban strategy in case of air pollution.
  • According to a research, 31 per cent of Delhi’s pollution originates from sources within its territory, while 69 per cent stems from sources in NCR states.
• Stubble burning ban: Apart from firecrackers ban, there must also be a ban on stubble burning across the region and only CNG and electric vehicles must be allowed to ply.
• Environmentally fuel in Industries: Industrial units using polluting fuels must be converted to piped natural gas. Brick kilns must adopt zig-zag technology to mitigate pollution. 
• Reduce Usage of Diesel Generators: To reduce reliance on diesel generators, electricity should be made available to all housing societies.
• Usage of Bypass Road: Vehicles not destined for Delhi must be made compulsory to ply on the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways.

Understanding Firecrackers: Origins, Composition, and Manufacturing in India

• Firecrackers are explosive devices used primarily to produce a large amount of noise and visual effect, usually for the purpose of celebration or entertainment.
• The origin of firecrackers can be traced back to China. In Chinese culture, firecrackers were used to scare off evil spirits.
• Composition of firecrackers 
  • Traditionally, firecrackers are made of cardboard or plastic, along with flash powder, cordite, smokeless powder, or black powder as the propellant.
  • The firecracker must be very tightly packed in order to increase the pressure and make it work best. 
• Manufacturing of Firecrackers in India
  • Sivakasi, located in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu, is known as the hub of firecrackers manufacturing in India.
  • Factories located in Sivakasi produce 85% of firecrackers used in India. The value of the firecracker industry in the city is estimated to be over Rs 6,000 crore.
  • About 8 lakh people in and around Sivakasi depend on the firecracker industry for their survival. 

Read Also: Diwali: The Festival of Lights and Triumph of Good Over Evil

Reason for Firecrackers Ban: Environmental, Health, and Social Implications

• Air Pollution Potential: The smoke emitted from firecrackers is a contributor of air pollution in urban areas, including Delhi.
• Sound Pollution: The loud bang noise associated with firecrackers can cause sound pollution, which can affect humans as well as animals.
• Health Impact: Smoke produced by fireworks contains harmful pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. They can cause breathing issues.
• Fire Accidents: Firecrackers are one of the main reasons for fire accidents in the country. They can cause loss of lives and property.
• Child Labour: Firecracker industry employs the maximum number of child labour. Despite legalization of industry, the child labour participation has not come down. 

Transition to Green Crackers: Potential, Challenges, and Adoption Factors

• They are a type of firecrackers, designed to cause less air and noise pollution as compared to traditional firecrackers, especially in the context of the firecrackers ban.
• Green crackers were developed by National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), which comes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2018.
• Distinct features: The most striking feature of green crackers in the context of firecrackers ban is that it does not contain barium nitrate, which is the most dangerous ingredient in conventional crackers.
  • Alternatives chemicals such as potassium nitrate and aluminium is used in its manufacture. 
  • The noise level produced by green crackers is about 100-130 decibels, instead of 160-200 decibels of sound produced by regular crackers.
• Variety of Green Crackers Currently in Use:
  • SWAS (Safe Water Releaser): These crackers release water vapor instead of certain key pollutants like sulfur or potassium nitrate, and are able to control particulate matter (PM) emissions by upto 30%.
  • SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium): SAFAL uses less aluminium (only in flash powder for initiation) resulting in significant reduction in particulate matter (35-40 %) compared to commercial crackers. It has sound intensity in the range of 110-115 dBA, matching with traditional firecrackers.
  • STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker): STAR reduces usage of KNO3 and Sulphur with reduction in particulate matter (35-40%), SO2 and NOx.
• Identifying Green Crackers to avoid firecracker ban in Delhi: A green logo printed on their boxes, along with a Quick Response (QR) coding system, allows people to distinguish green crackers from conventional one.
• Issues with Green Crackers:
  • High Production Cost: Traditional cracker manufacturers will have to face additional cost burden as initial production cost will be high. Small cottage industries are likely to suffer.
  • Lack of Awareness: Despite the ban on traditional firecrackers, many manufacturers are unaware of the restrictions and keep producing traditional crackers.
  • Availability: Green crackers are not easily available compared to traditional crackers and hence people continue buying traditional ones.
  • Higher Cost: The cost of green crackers is higher compared to traditional ones. This restricts the capability of an individual to buy firecrackers which impact the decision of firecrackers ban in Delhi. 

Conclusion:

• Firecrackers may have close relations with the festival of Diwali, but what we cannot deny is the side-effects of firecrackers on the air quality of our cities. Traditional firecrackers Ban and promoting usage of green crackers in a limited manner looks the best way forward.