Varying Shades Of ‘Green' Crackers

An investigation reveals differences in their emission levels

- Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

This Deepavali, the only crackers that are legal are those that bear a sticker indicating lower pollution levels. While these crackers are indeed less polluting than regular ones, an investigation by The Hindu reveals that the pollution level among ‘green’ crackers varies.

Various brands of ‘green’ crackers seem to have been able to bring down noise and dust particle levels to varying levels when compared to regular crackers. The ‘green’ crackers themselves are the result of a Supreme Court directive to reduce pollution levels during Deepavali.