No green crackers available in GB Nagar

Noida: The district administration of Gautam Budh Nagar is trying to convince people to use green crackers (low emission crackers) but no environment friendly crackers

Noida: The district administration of Gautam Budh Nagar is trying to convince people to use green crackers (low emission crackers) but no environment friendly crackers are available in the market.

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The district magistrate and other officials have been keeping in touch with the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) to provide a report on the availability of ‘green’ firecrackers, ahead of Diwali, Christmas and New Year, but there is no word on this from PESO.

According to the officials, currently, nobody has got the licence to sell green crackers in the district as these are unavailable. Officials have been informed that green crackers are available in Delhi but the prices are quite high.

The district administration is writing a fresh letter to PESO to update the availability of green crackers as Diwali is near. “We have been keeping in touch with PESO but there has been no update on the availability of green crackers. We will be taking appropriate action against people who will get involved in bursting the banned firecrackers. We are again writing to PESO on the same,” BN Singh, district magistrate, said.

“The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has come up with green crackers as per the Supreme Court order. Around 150 manufacturers have come forward and have signed an agreement with NEERI to make green crackers. Of the 150, only about 80 to 90 manufacturers are making green crackers currently and that’s why there is a scarcity in the market. These crackers are available in big cities but still hasn’t reached all the districts,” said MK Jhala, joint controller of explosives, PESO, said.