Govt recommends use of green crackers only in Jammu and Srinagar; restricts use to two hours

Srinagar: A committee set up by the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday recommended the use of green crackers in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar and warned of action in case of any violation.

According to the official communique, the state executive committee has issued the directions for regulating the activities related to sale and use of firecrackers in the twin capital cities and recommended the use of green crackers only.

The handout said that only green crackers shall be permitted for sale and use in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar.

The use/bursting of these green crackers shall be restricted to only two hours during the festivals — from 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali and Gurupurab; from 6 AM to 8 AM on Chhatt and from 11:55 PM to 12:30 AM on Christmas.

It stated that all the Deputy Commissioners shall executive extensive public awareness campaigns regarding the matter.

It authorized the J&K State Pollution Control Board and said that it shall carry out short-term monitoring in the cities for 14 days (commencing immediately) for the parameters namely, aluminum, barium and iron, apart from the regulatory parameters against the short-term Ambient Air Quality Criteria Values (AAQCVS) proposed by CPCB with regard to bursting of firecrackers.

This will help in generation of data on pollution caused by the bursting of firecrackers and would be helpful for regulation and control of the quality of aluminum, barium, and iron used in the manufacture of firecrackers.

Any violation of the above directions will invite immediate penal action under section 51 to 61 of Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under section 188 of the IPC and others provisions as applicable, it added.

What are green crackers?

Green crackers have a small shell size compared to traditional crackers. They are produced using less harmful raw materials and have additives which reduce emissions by suppressing dust.

Green crackers do not contain banned chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, barium and lead. They are called Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers.

Green crackers release water vapour and do not allow the dust particles to rise. They are designed to have 30% less particulate matter pollution.

QR codes on green cracker packages help consumers scan and identify counterfeits.