Ludhiana: Despite ban, non-green firecrackers flying off shelves

Pradeep, a wholesaler at the grain market in Ludhiana, said green crackers are costlier than the regular ones; we stock up traditional crackers as that’s what the customers prefer

Despite a Supreme Court ban and state government’s push for eco-friendly ‘green crackers’, the sale of the traditional and comparatively more polluting firecrackers remains high as they continue to be the preferred choice of locals.

The Diwali festivities coincide with raging farm fires during the paddy harvesting season in Punjab and Haryana. (Manish/HT)

Traders in wholesale markets cite high prices and lack of demand for green alternatives for the reasons behind the trend.

On October 14, the government announced a statewide ban on conventional firecrackers to curb pollution as air quality concerns peak during the festive season. Diwali festivities coincide with raging farm fires during the paddy harvesting season in Punjab and Haryana.

Jaswinder Singh, a 36-year-old local, said he is unfamiliar with the concept of green crackers.

“I don’t know what green crackers are. This is the first time I have heard of them. Every Diwali, I buy the crackers available at the local shops,’’ he said.

Pradeep, a wholesaler at the grain market, said, “Green crackers are costlier than the regular ones. We stock up traditional crackers as that’s what the customers prefer.”

‘Local firms putting green tag on regular crackers’

Another wholesaler at the grain market, requesting not to be named, said there is a lack of awareness among traders and retailers regarding the authenticity of green crackers. He said some local companies are putting green cracker tags on regular boxes, making it hard for the officials concerned to tell the difference.

The authentic green crackers have small shell size, and their packaging displays the permissible noise and emission levels. They can be identified using a distinctive green logo from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) with a QR code, he added.

Jaskirat Singh, an environmental activist, said the government has formulated regulations, but enforcement is lacking.

He added that it depends on the willingness of people to adopt the changes.