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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 24 July, 2021

  • 15 Min Read

Green Crackers and NGT

Green Crackers and NGT

  • Green crackers are less harmful and less dangerous than conventional ones.
  • They are the crackers with reduced emission and decibel levels. They are known as 'green' firecrackers because they have a chemical formulation that produces water molecules, which substantially reduce emission levels and absorbs dust.
  • They are cheaper to manufacture and produce 30-35% less SO2 and NO2 emissions.
  • What are the Green Crackers?
    1. Traditional firecrackers are made of barium nitrate, antimony etc. which causes respiratory problems and even cancer.
    2. Green crackers are the crackers without barium nitrate. NEERI substituted barium nitrate with Potassium Nitrate and Zeolite.
    3. NEERI claimed that Green sparklers (Contains Potassium Nitrate, Aluminium powder and Proprietary additives etc.) led to 30% reduction in PM, SO2 and Nitrous Oxide emissions.
    4. Flower pots are made of mixture of water and lime. And Bomb named ‘SWAS’ (or Safe Water Releaser). They emit similar levels of sound 100-10dBA.
  • What gives colour to the firecrackers?
    1. Red: Strontium salts (Nitrates, carbonates and sulphates of strontium).
    2. Orange: Calcium salts (Carbonates, chlorides and sulphates of calcium).
    3. Yellow: Sodium salts (Nitrates and oxalates of sodium).
    4. Green: Barium salts (Nitrates, carbonates, chlorides and chlorates of barium).
    5. Blue: Copper salts (Carbonates and oxides of copper).
    6. Purple: A combination of copper and strontium compounds.
    7. White: The burning of metals like magnesium, aluminium and titanium).

Government efforts

  • SC has banned the use of Barium nitrate, a key pollutant in crackers.
  • The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) based in Nagpur is a part of CSIR was asked to facilitate development of green crackers. CSIR-NEERI has made 3 Green crackers
    1. SWAS (Safe Water Releaser): eliminates use of KNO3 & S (Potassium Nitrate & Sulphur).
    2. STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker): eliminates KNO3 & S.
    3. SAFAL (Safe minimal Aluminium): minimal usage of aluminium (only in flash powder for initiation).

For comprehensive notes on Green crackers: click here

For complete news on National Green Tribunal (NGT): click here

Source: TH


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