As SC refuses blanket ban on fireworks, TN's Sivakasi sighs in relief

This means the fireworks industry will not lose out on its biggest annual sale

Sivakasi, the small town in Tamil Nadu which manufactures nearly 90 per cent of the firecrackers in India, erupted in celebrations after news broke on Tuesday that the Supreme Court(SC) had not imposed a complete ban on firecrackers ahead of Diwali. However, the jubilation did not last long. Once the ruling was read in full, it became clear the court had allowed the sale and manufacture of only low-emission “green” firecrackers.
 

This has stumped manufacturers since as of now there is no such thing as “green” firecrackers — not only in India, but anywhere in the world. At present they are just an ambitious concept on the part of the government and industry. In fact, it would take several years of research to reduce emissions levels in firecrackers, says K Mariappan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association, which represents the Rs60-billion firecrackers industry in the state. 

The Association has decided to file a review petition against the SC directive.

The retail sales of Sivakasi firecrackers amounts to over Rs 100 billion a year. But sales have been plummeting over the last couple of years owing to the bans on firecrackers issued by various courts. In 2017 and 2018 the industry lost nearly 50 per cent of its business after the Supreme Court prohibited the sale of crackers in the National Capital Region (NCR). 

P Ganesan of Sony Fire Works, one of the oldest brands in Sivakasi, says that they are more than ready to manufacture green crackers. “However, globally there is no definition for green crackers. Even the Supreme Court did not define the term. But though we don’t have the capability at present, we have the capacity to build it,” says Ganesan. Sony Fire Works has been manufacturing firecrackers with less chemicals and sulphur although these are costlier to produce. For example, in certain colour display fireworks, the company has used only 8g of sulphur as against 23g of sulphur used routinely.

“The government should come forward and help the industry, both financially and in terms of providing technical know-how, so that we can develop low-emission green crackers,” says Ganesan. Industry experts say the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), on the advice of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has already explored the possibility for producing low-emission crackers. However, the firecrackers industry felt that its suggestions were not feasible. “The solution has to come from industry and CSIR can be part of the research. Here, CSIR was asking for royalty to use its invention, which in any case is not viable for the fireworks industry,”Mariappan says. 

He feels that even with intensive research, it would take at least four years to come up with zero or low-emission crackers. One ingredient that has been tested to reduce emissions in fireworks is nitrocellulose. However, the chemical becomes unstable after being exposed to the atmosphere for a while, which make it unsuitable for use. 

E-crackers?

E-crackers are another option for a green Diwali. These battery-operated crackers make a sound and also light up. And you can set them off with the help of a remote. The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, is developing a prototype in which there is light and sound, but no smoke. The CSIR’s Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute in Pilani, Rajasthan, is also working on an electronic firecracker.
 

However, manufacturers at Sivakasi say that e-crackers are just toys — they certainly won’t give the feel of bursting real fireworks. In the absence of “green” firecrackers, you may see some e-crackers, especially in northern  markets like the NCR. After all, with the ban on conventional firecrackers, and “green” crackers still up in the air, e-crackers could be the only way to get a bang out of your Diwali.