The Supreme Court clarified on 7th November that its orders to minimise air and noise pollution caused by firecrackers bind States across the country and not just Delhi National Capital Region.
- The apex court was hearing an application highlighting a spike in pollution in Rajasthan despite restrictive orders passed by the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court order 2018
- In October 2018, the apex court had banned the production and sale of all crackers except ‘green crackers’ and those with reduced emissions (improved crackers).
- It also banned the manufacture and sale of ‘joined crackers’, prohibited the use of barium salts in fireworks and said their noise levels should be within permissible limits.
- The court also banned their online sales and directed that they can be sold only through licensed traders and laid down the time schedule for bursting on various occasions.
- The court reiterated this in its October 29, 2021 order.
- The court also made it “clear that there is no total ban on use of firecrackers” and that “only those firecrackers are banned, as directed… which are found to be injurious to health.
- Chemicals like barium are colouring agents, and were banned because of their harmful impact on human health, such as irritation in the respiratory tract, skin allergies, breathing difficulties, and even cancer.
Colours in a crackers
- The white colour in a cracker is emitted through aluminium, magnesium and titanium, while the orange colour is carbon or iron.
- Yellow agents are sodium compounds while blue and red are copper compounds and strontium carbonates.
- The green agent is barium mono chloride salts or barium nitrate or barium chlorate.
