Hyderabad: The first three products of green firecrackers will have organic molecules like tetrazole, triazole and others which are presently being tested at the laboratory level in seven different scientific institutions in the country. But these firecrackers will be available to people only in Diwali 2019.
The three green firecrackers that have been developed are named Swas, Star and Safal after a year’s research and the project is being headed by CSIR-NEERI under the ministry of science and technology. The green firecrackers are expected to reduce emissions by 15 to 30 per cent. Scientist L Giri Babu of IICT, who is working on the green firecrackers project, explained, “The present manufacturing process of firecrackers involves using inorganic materials and metals. Due to this, we have thick smoke and a combination of colours. The green firecrackers are being worked on the concept of organic materials by retaining the combination of colours. This is because firecrackers are loved for their different colours.”
Green firecrackers are to be made from organic materials which will burst like a normal firecracker but the smoke which comes out will not pollute like the traditional firecrackers. There will be smoke in green firecrackers too but the pollutant levels will be reduced.
Therefore, a combination of organic molecules have been used which have combinations of nitrogen and carbon. There are also experiments being carried out with dried leaves but that is only at an experimental stage and it requires a lot of work.
Mr Babu explained, “There are different scientific laboratories that are working on the project. We will have one or two products available in the market only in Diwali 2019. The experiments are presently only at the laboratory level.”
Environment minister Harsh Vardhan has been given a demonstration of these green firecrackers and the approved technology has been sent to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation which is the licensing authority.
The main objective is to exclude the harmful effects of firecrackers like smoke, dust, particulate matter and also acidic reactions. The sulphur content in firecrackers reacts with oxygen in the air and causes acid rain. Therefore, the green firecrackers are based on the concept of more colour and less smoke along with reduced pollution levels and less harm to the human body.
