Syllabus Areas:

GS III - Environment

The Supreme Court recently permitted the sale of “green” crackers ahead of Deepavali, reigniting debate over their actual impact on pollution levels, their chemical safety, and whether the term “green” accurately represents these supposedly reduced-emission fireworks developed by CSIR-NEERI.

  • The Supreme Court legalised the sale of “green” crackers before Deepavali to balance three interests:
    1. Cultural sentiments during festivals.
    2. Pollution concerns.
    3. Livelihood issues of workers in the fireworks industry.
  • Problem: The firecracker industry, mostly small-scale and informal, has suffered bans in Delhi-NCR since 2018 due to pollution.

Development of Green Crackers

  • Developer:CSIR–National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur — initiated work in 2018.
  • Objective: Reduce emissions by 30%–80% while maintaining brightness, safety, and shelf-life.

Chemical Formulation Changes

Green crackers achieve lower emissions through:

  1. Reduced use of barium nitrate, antimony, and toxic metals.
  2. Use of zeolite as a particulate additive substitute.
  3. Inclusion of boron-based reagents (release water vapour to suppress dust).
  4. Addition of metallic composites to improve combustion efficiency.

Types and Composition

  1. Flower Pot (Anaar)
    • Contains water and lime mixture.
    • When lit, the moisture helps settle dust and smoke.
    • Results (as per NEERI):
      • ~30% reduction in particulate matter (PM10 & PM2.5).
      • Lower SO₂ and NOx
  2. Green Sparkler
    • Composition:
      • 32% Potassium nitrate
      • 40% Aluminium powder
      • 11% Aluminium chips
      • 17% Proprietary additives
    • Claimed to reduce PM10 and PM2.5 by 30%.
  3. SWAS Bomb
    • Composition:
      • 72% Proprietary additive
      • 16% Potassium nitrate
      • 9% Aluminium powder
      • 3% Sulphur
    • Claimed to reduce PM10 and PM2.5.

Manufacturing and Registration

  • Technology Transfer: NEERI developed an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to register manufacturers and transfer formulations.
  • Process:
    • Manufacturers must have an explosive licence from PESO.
    • NEERI grants registration for each product individually.
  • Scale: Around 1,500 manufacturers (mainly from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal) have obtained licences in 2024.

Terminology Debate

  • The term “green cracker” is technically misleading.
  • True “green” products are zero-emission (e.g., electric vehicles).
  • NEERI scientists, in a 2023 academic paper, preferred the term “Reduced Emission Fireworks”, which is more accurate.
  • However, the Supreme Court order continues to use “green crackers.”
Green Crackers

Effectiveness and Air Quality

  • Lab vs Real-World:
    • NEERI’s emission reduction claims (~30%) are based on lab tests.
    • No independent real-world verification
  • Supreme Court Observation (2024):
    • No significant improvement in air quality between 2018 and 2024.
    • However, permitting “green crackers” was considered unlikely to worsen pollution much further.
  • Current Situation:
    • Air quality around October 20–21 dipped to “very poor”.
    • PM levels crossed 1,000 µg/m³ in parts of NCR.
    • Causes include firecrackers, stubble burning, low wind speed, and dropping temperatures.
    • No official data yet on relative contributions of each factor.


 There is no conclusive evidence that green crackers have measurably improved air quality.
“Reduced Emission Fireworks” is a more scientifically accurate term than “green crackers.”
 While technologically progressive, these crackers alone cannot solve the broader pollution crisis, especially amid persistent stubble burning and stagnant weather conditions.

Prelims Questions:

1. With reference to “green crackers,” consider the following statements:
  1. They are formulated without the use of barium nitrate and antimony.
  2. Zeolite is used as a substitute additive to suppress particulate emissions.
  3. The formulations were developed by the CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
2. The “SWAS” bomb developed under the green cracker initiative is designed primarily to:
  1. Reduce carbon monoxide emissions by adding magnesium-based oxidisers.
  2. Lower PM10 and PM2.5 levels using proprietary additives and potassium nitrate.
  3. Replace aluminium with copper-based fuels to cut sulphur dioxide emissions.
  4. Eliminate all metallic components to ensure zero-smoke combustion.
3. Which of the following best describes the role of boron-based reagents in green crackers?
  1. They act as oxidisers to enhance combustion speed.
  2. They serve as cooling agents to absorb sulphur oxides.
  3. They release water molecules that help suppress airborne dust.
  4. They replace nitrates in improving shelf-life stability.
4. Consider the following chemicals and their functions in green cracker formulations:
  1. Zeolite – particulate additive substitute.
  2. Boron compound – dust suppressant.
  3. Aluminium composite – combustion efficiency enhancer.
  4. Lime mixture – moisture regulator.
Which of the above are correctly matched?
  1. only 1 pair
  2. 2 pairs only
  3. 3 pairs only
  4. all the 4 pairs