The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISR) has developed 'green firecrackers' to address this issue and combat pollution.
Written by Soham Shah
Pune | Updated: October 24, 2024 11:24 AM IST
3 min read
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According to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, green crackers must have a reduction in size of shell, elimination of ash usage, reduced usage of raw materials in the composition,
With just a week to go for Diwali, the sale of firecrackers has picked up in the city. Every year, concerns are raised regarding the pollution caused by firecrackers used during this period.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISR) has developed ‘green firecrackers’ to address this issue and combat pollution. In November 2023, the Supreme Court of India clarified that its 2021 order banning barium and other banned chemicals was to be implemented across the country. These ‘green firecrackers’ are widely available at retailers in Pune. However, doctors raise concerns on their effectiveness.
What are green firecrackers?
According to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, green crackers must have a reduction in size of shell, elimination of ash usage, reduced usage of raw materials in the composition, and/or use of additives as dust suppressants to reduce particulate matter, SO2, and NO2 emissions.
This must lead to a minimum particulate matter reduction of 30% or a minimum of particulate matter reduction of 20% and 10% or more gaseous emission reduction, compared to regular crackers. These ‘green firecrackers’ also have types like SWAS (safe water releaser), SAFAL (safe minimal aluminium) and STAR (safe thermite cracker).
Availability of green firecrackers
Owner of Sahakar Nagar Fataka Mart Prasad Dashrath said, “Only green crackers mandated by the government are available with us. I don’t even know where I would find non-green firecrackers to sell.”
Stating that awareness and demand among the public about green fire-crackers was low, Dashrath said, “No one specifically asks us for green crackers, people only care about which crackers will have a better explosion. But all of our firecrackers are green.” Similarly, almost all the firecrackers at Sejal Fataka Mart near Shri Omkareshwar Temple were from brands like Anil and Supreme, and had a ‘green fireworks’ certification from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation, Nagpur.
Owner of the mart Nilesh Dadhave said the shop was attracting 300 customers daily but hardly 10% of customers enquire about eco-friendly fireworks. Nearby, the MNS fataka stall also had only green firecrackers. However, hardly 20-30% of customers specifically enquired about them, according to the owner.
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Doctors contest effectiveness of green firecrackers
Pulmonologist Dr. Aparna Birajdar, who runs her own clinic and is a consultant doctor at the Sahyadri Hospital, said, “We see a 20-30% increase in respiratory issues during Diwali. If green crackers have just a 30% reduction in pollution, then they are not very useful. In the foggy cold weather in winter, I don’t think it makes much of a difference. I have not seen any difference in my patients’ health due to these ‘green’ crackers.”
Holding similar views, consultant pulmonologist at Ruby Hall Clinic Dr Sneha Tirpude said, “I don’t feel green firecrackers are useful in controlling pollution. In the quest of promoting green crackers over normal crackers, more green firecrackers are lit up, which ends up creating equal amounts of pollution. It is similar to the cigarette vs e-cigarette debate. E-cigarettes might have less nicotine per-puff, but you end up smoking more of them leading to the total sum being more.”
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
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