E-crackers

The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) is India’s top pollution watchdog.

E-firecrackers have small pods connected to each other with wires and twinkling LEDS . When turned on, they produce sounds and lights similar to the conventional firecrackers. Some countries, including China, have already come up with a few non-polluting firecracker variants.

These Chinese crackers were sold in Indian markets this Diwali, but India is trying to come up with its own, more affordable, variants .

“This is the first time Indian scientists are trying to develop such e-crackers ,” said Chaudhury.

While CEERI is developing e-fireworks, researchers at National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur are working on a pollution-free version of traditional firecrackers .

Firecrackers are highly polluting because manufacturers use a range of compounds that use metals such as barium, antimony, copper and lithium, which emit toxic fumes.

Delhi suffered its worst smog in 17 years after firecrackers and fireworks worth crores of rupees were burnt on Diwali in 2016. In 2017, the Supreme Court banned the sale of crackers in the National Capital Region around Diwali, but there was spike in pollution levels again last year, primarily due to crackers procured from outside the region.

“Our research will comprise of two phases. In the first phase, we will work on how to cut down the amount of pollutants which are emitted from firecrackers. Then, we will try to come up with pollution-free crackers ,” said Rakesh Kumar, director of CSIR-NEERI.

Scientists say they are also testing chemicals that could be used in manufacturing smokeless firecrackers, including Azide-based compounds that produce the harmless nitrogen gas on combustion.