Air pollution takes the worst form among the “slow and silent” killers on this planet. Its major victims are urban dwellers, huge in number and caught also in other forms of pollution in their daily lives. Emissions from the steadily growing number of vehicles and use of unclean and untreated water remain top issues. Breathing polluted air with chemical contents is invitation to health problems and no one is spared. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter again, in a complaint about presence of toxic substances in green firecrackers. Crackers as a whole pollute the air, and it would now appear that even the supposedly safe green firecrackers are also harmful to health.
Notably, it is at this juncture that the prominent Indian city of Gurugram, previously known as Gurgaon, in the outskirts of capital Delhi is adjudged as the world’s most polluted city.
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The ball is now in the Centre’s court, again. Responding to the PIL, the apex court has asked the government to give its response to the petition; one that alleged green crackers contain “conventional formulations” with barium nitrate and potassium nitrate as oxidisers. Notably, the complainants are a set of toddlers. Their plea is that the Union environment ministry, which backed green crackers, be asked to examine the samples of these and ensure no banned ingredients are used. Manufactures are allegedly using substances that were banned by the Supreme Court. While green firecrackers are already in the market, bulk production of the same is to start by March 30, and an early response from the government should be of help.
India’s Festival of Lights, which enlivens the entire nation at night on Deepawali with lights on the ground and crackers weaving magic in the skies, is a major attraction year after year. Several temple festivals across the country cannot do without a fireworks display at night. A ban on crackers is thus not contemplated even as their sound emissions are also irritating for many. China is in the lead in manufacture of firecrackers, and much of what are used around the world today might be getting exported from that country. Within India too, there are major production centres in Tamil Nadu and a few other places. Regulations will thus have to be effected both on imports and local manufacture, followed by strict monitoring of the markets through seasonal inspections.
The size of the industry in India itself is amazing, and is of the order of Rs 20,000 crore, while the Chinese segment alone accounts for Rs 5000 crore of the business. The job opportunity in the industry is also huge – of the order of four lakh in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi itself. All of these had come into the consideration of the Apex Court when faced with calls for ban or regulations on firecracker use at festivals. Hence, the court order in October 2018 for use of green firecrackers as proposed by the Environment ministry. Like in much else, here too, the manufacturers are keen on subverting the noble intention behind the court order.
On its part, the Apex Court had also ruled that the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) would decide on the permissible limit of sound and smoke in crackers for sale. But, problem rests with implementation. Police departments were quick to wash their hands off the matter, saying they had no equipment to measure the decibel levels of firecrackers. Manufacturers had laughed off the idea of green firecrackers, saying such a thing cannot be produced without use of basic ingredients, good or bad. Under the circumstances, there is every chance of subversion of the October order of the Apex Court and things could go back to square one.
It is imperative that the Environment ministry takes a serious view of the matter and sets in place mechanisms to properly implement the Court order. Indian festivals should learn to do without firecrackers and a change in the attitude of people alone will bring about a difference which will be sustainable. No amount of laws or police action can be effective in matters pertaining to the health of our future generations.
