firecracker A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...

(cracker, noise maker, banger,) is a small

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...

device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound. Firecrackers, along with

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

, originated in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. They are easily available in India and are used to mark a celebratory event. Anyone 18 and over can buy them without a license if allowed by the local laws.

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

fireworks are a family event in many parts of India. People light up fireworks near their homes and in streets. Additionally, cities and communities have community fireworks.

History

This custom may have begun on the Indian subcontinent during 15th century when gunpowder started being utilised in Indian warfare following the

Islamic conquest of the Indian subcontinent The Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent mainly took place between the 13th and the 18th centuries, establishing the Indo-Muslim period. Earlier Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent include the invasions which started in the n ...

. India's first fireworks factory was established in Calcutta during the 19th century. The founder was a man named Gopal Mahindram.

Pollution concerns

In October and November, farmers from

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

and

Haryana Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...

burn stubble and other agricultural waste and the weather tends not to be windy, so Delhi's air pollution usually increases, which has been a major environmental problem since 2002. Toxic smog generated during the burning of the firecrackers during Diwali festival can worsen this pollution.

Ban on firecrackers

In October 2017, the Supreme Court banned firecrackers in Delhi, as a result of which the industry said it faced losses of Rs 1,000-crore and consequently layoffs. After India's

National Green Tribunal The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is a statutory body in India that deals with expeditious disposal of cases related to environmental protection and other natural resources. It was set up under the National Green Tribunal Act in 2010. India ...

(NGT) ordered a ban in the NCR region on the sale and use of crackers in 2020, the

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

(CSIR) developed "green crackers" that used less polluting raw materials. Several states in India have either banned firecrackers or limited the time, noise level and type (mandatory use of less polluting firecrackers) that can be used. Nonetheless, many firecrackers were used to celebrate the Diwali holiday in 2020, immediately after which Delhi's air pollution was over 9 times the level that the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

considers safe. Researchers at

Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health (ECIPH) is a Mangaluru based academic and research institute focused on global health and policy. Academic Cooperation in India * Technical Cooperation with Yenepoya University to support public h ...

put out a working paper which spoke about the hazards of firecrackers in Mangalore and parts of the country and called for an immediate regulation of hours of bursting and eventual phase out with a full ban. Aaratrika Bhaumik mentions the ban put in place by the

Calcutta High Court The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It is located at Esplanade Row West, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. T ...

on firecrackers (green firecrackers included) throughout the state of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

for the 2021

and

Kali Puja Kali Puja (ISO: ), also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month o ...

festivities. The ban extends to all remaining festivals in the year, such as

Chhath Puja Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival, native to eastern India and southern Nepal. It is celebrated especially in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Eastern Uttar Pradesh; and Koshi, Gandaki, Bagmati, Lumbini and Madhesh provinces o ...

Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ), also known as Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਉਤਸਵ), celebrates the birth of the first Sikh ...

Dasera Dasera is a former village development committee in Jajarkot District in the Karnali Province of Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statisti ...

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

and the New Year.

Green or environment friendly firecracker

After India's

(NGT) enacted a ban on the sale and use of crackers on Diwali festival in 2020, the

(CSIR) developed green crackers made from cleaner raw materials which reduce emissions by suppressing the production of dust; their emissions are 30% lower and are also of reduced loudness at 110-125 decibels instead of the more than 160 decibels of traditional firecrackers. However, green crackers still contain harmful pollutants such as aluminium, barium, potassium nitrate and carbon.

2022 appeal in Supreme Court

The

Delhi government The Government of Delhi, officially the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD; ISO: ) is the governing body of India's National Capital Territory of Delhi, whose urban area is the seat of the Government of India. It also g ...

had decided to stop the production, storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers to reduce the rising levels of pollution in Delhi. In September 2022, Manoj Tiwari, a Member of Parliament from the BJP moved the Supreme Court against the Delhi government. Tiwari said that that freedom of religion cannot be taken away under the pretext of the right to life. Supreme Court refused to provide an early hearing for the petition and dismissed the plea saying "Let People Breathe Clean Air". SC also asked the public to use the money on sweets instead of crackers.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Fireworks Pyrotechnics Indian traditions Environmental law in India Pollution in India Culture of India *