Green Crackers: A Compromise With Environment Or Temporary Measure? Experts Weigh In

By Surabhi Gupta

New Delhi: With Diwali on the horizon, the yearly firecracker debate is back in Delhi-NCR but now with the emergence of "green crackers."

These eco-friendly fireworks claim they are better than traditional ones with less pollution. Nevertheless, doctors, environmentalists and conservationists have raised concerns that these cleaner alternatives may introduce significant health and environmental risks.

What Are Green Crackers?

Green crackers aim to generate less pollution than conventional fireworks by causing around 30 percent less pollution, lower concentrations of heavy metals such as arsenic and lead, and reduced noise. Furthermore, experts warned that the difference between regular and green crackers is negligible given that the air is already hazardous.

Dr (Prof) Tarun Kumar, Associate Director and Head at Medanta Moolchand Heart Center, told ETV Bharat, "Green crackers are unsafe for asthma patients and should be avoided. They will generate less pollution than traditional fireworks but they will still cause pollution that is hazardous for people with respiratory conditions. Doctors would advise people with asthma to not use any firecrackers to avoid potentially dangerous flare-ups."

Why Green Crackers Remain Dangerous?

Medical professionals have cautioned several risk factors with the use of green crackers, particularly for people with past or current pulmonary complications.

• Fine particulate matter: Even green crackers still release significant amounts of PM2.5 and PM1, sufficiently small to penetrate into lungs and readily access the bloodstream. For people with asthma, exposure to this kind of smoke can trigger coughing, wheezing and other difficulties in breathing, regardless of whether the smoke can be another type of irritant to the lungs.
• Toxic irritants: While green crackers have a smaller amount of chemicals, they still use metallic compounds that can irritate the airways and cause inflammation, worsening existing breathing problems.
• Aggravated symptoms: For a person who has asthma or chronic respiratory conditions, exposure could result in acute exacerbation of symptoms requiring an emergency response. Sudden exposure to these conditions, for anyone with or without pulmonary complications, can lead to conditions such as pneumothorax (a collapsed lung).
• Cumulative effect: Using green crackers can still introduce even less toxic smoke into the overall pollution burden of the city. On repeated exposures over time, this continues to depreciate lung function and worsen existing chronic illnesses.
• To avoid impacts, Dr Kumar recommends that individuals with asthma or any chronic lung condition take precautions to reduce risk, These include staying indoors with windows closed, using a HEPA air purifying system, using an N95 mask when outside, having inhalers and emergency medications available to treat exacerbation of acute lung symptoms, using alternative celebrations such as laser shows and maintaining a diet rich in antioxidants to repair the lungs respiratory system.

Environmental Concerns and Criticism

Environmentalists argue that green crackers, though marketed as eco-friendly, still contribute to air pollution and do little to address Delhi’s chronic air quality issues.

Manu Singh, an environmentalist, told ETV Bharat, “It is heartbreaking that at a time when Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is already slipping into the danger zone and GRAP-I restrictions meant to curb dust, vehicular emissions and waste burning are in force, the Supreme Court and the Delhi government have chosen to allow so-called green crackers. Yes, they emit about 30 percent less pollutants, contain less arsenic and lead, and marginally reduce noise, but in truth, they still poison the very air we breathe."

"What makes this decision even more irresponsible is the government’s repeated failure to curb ordinary crackers, which were rampant this Dussehra itself. Allowing even diluted pollution now is sheer hypocrisy when the lungs of our children are already under siege,” Singh said.

Chetan Agarwal, Forest and Environmental Services Analyst, also weighed in, reflecting on the cultural context. “Diwali is the festival of lights and signifies the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile. Even one lamp is enough for this. The custom of firecrackers is also not very old,” he said, suggesting that cultural practices need not always justify environmental harm.

Vikrant Tongad, Environment Conservationist, added nuance to the debate saying, “We all welcome the Supreme Court’s decision. However, in Delhi-NCR, it has been observed that over the past few years despite restrictions, conventional firecrackers are still used more widely than green crackers, leading to a sharp rise in pollution levels around Diwali. The Supreme Court’s order is indeed a positive step, but its implementation on the ground will remain a major challenge."

Tongad further said that many people feel that whether firecrackers are used or not, Delhi’s air remains polluted for most of the year. Therefore, along with regulating firecrackers, we must also address other major sources of air pollution, such as construction site dust, roadside dust, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, pollution from dumping sites, and thermal power plants, he said. "Only through a year-round, multi-sectoral and consistent effort can we make Delhi’s air truly breathable for all 365 days of the year,” Tongad added.

Challenges of Public Compliance

One of the biggest obstacles to mitigating pollution from green crackers is public behavior. Bharati Chaturvedi, founder of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, gave a candid assessment of Delhiites’ compliance.

“Firstly, Delhi is one of the least disciplined cities in the world, or rather, Delhi’s public is one of the least disciplined in the country. Neither do we listen to courts, nor government or follow any rules as a city. You have seen that time and again, Delhiites don’t segregate daily, trash is burned and people don’t do home composting. Big new houses don’t follow norms. Basically, it’s a spoiled city. Therefore, I feel that it’s going to be extremely difficult for any government to make Delhi work according to timings," Chaturvedi said.

“The second thing is that it’s the nature of the city not to listen to anybody. We just don’t have enough staff, whether it’s police or pollution control boards, to actually implement rules properly. It doesn’t work that way. Even if you complain about someone breaking rules, the police can’t go to every house. Safety and security issues are huge as well," Chaturvedi pointed out.

“Thirdly, people don’t really believe that pollution is as severe as the government says. They may think, ‘Now green crackers reduce it by 30 percent, so it’s okay.’ However, 30 percent is also significant. The problem is that during cold nights, pollutants get trapped and shock loads occur. Even if it’s reduced by 30 percent, it still produces a shock load that children and the elderly have to breathe," he explained.

Chaturvedi further said, "Even though people are told to buy genuine green fireworks, when they can’t even buy safe paneer or food items for their families, do you think they will go out of their way to purchase authentic green fireworks? Public cooperation is key, but in Delhi, the public is not capable of that. There's just not the interest, knowledge, capacity and social engineering to achieve compliance."

Balancing Tradition with Responsibility to Environment

Public discussions over green crackers reveal the conflict between cultural tradition and environmental responsibility. Many argue that Diwali celebrations should not come at the expense of public health or environmental integrity. Laser shows, light displays and community-based eco-friendly celebrations are increasingly proposed as alternatives that honour the festive spirit without adding to air pollution.

Dr Kumar stressed the importance of prioritising vulnerable populations. “Children, the elderly and those with respiratory illnesses should remain indoors and minimise exposure to any type of fireworks. Even green crackers, while less harmful, are not risk-free. Health and safety should come first.”

Environmentalists Call for Year-Round Action

Experts emphasise that green crackers alone cannot solve Delhi’s pollution crisis. Long-term solutions require tackling pollution sources beyond seasonal firework. This includes vehicle emissions, construction dust, industrial output, waste burning and energy production.

Tongad said, “Regulating fireworks is a step, but year-round, multi-sectoral action is the only way to ensure breathable air. Festivals like Diwali may be seasonal, but pollution is not.”

Singh said, “Allowing even diluted pollution now is irresponsible. We need systemic solutions to ensure that every resident, particularly children, can breathe safely, not just during festivals, but all year round.”

Chetan Agarwal added, “Considering the air pollution, we, our children and the coming generation should move towards celebrating Diwali away from firecrackers. People are slowly getting used to it. Pollution control boards should carefully monitor the air quality and noise levels on a continuous hourly basis before, during and after Diwali to assess the impact of the limited green crackers being used so that if there is a major spike in air pollution then the court can revisit the matter.”

Jai Dhar Gupta, clean air activist and entrepreneur told ETV Bharat, “Considering the fact that Delhi-NCR took over as the region with the worst air quality in the World in 2015, the Supreme Court has been flip flopping on a fireworks ban for years. Each year faith, politics and profit triumphs over health and environment. I think it is laughable that this decision to allow green crackers has come while GRAP-I has been enforced. It reflects on the quality of our leadership on health and environment. There is no such thing as green crackers, this is just more smogwash for a city whose residents are already suffering from co-morbidities or have been forced to become pollution refugees. We really haven’t seen any enforcement in the past and have no reason to believe that the law machinery will intervene to dampen festive sentiments.”

Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist, said, “Even so called ‘green crackers’ release harmful gases and fine particulate matter, they’re only about 25–30 percent less polluting under controlled lab conditions, not in Delhi’s stagnant winter air. During Diwali, PM2.5 levels typically rise by over 1,000 percent above WHO limits. In that context, a 30 percent reduction is statistically meaningless. Once the boundary layer drops and the air traps pollutants, even limited cracker use can tip the city back into the ‘severe’ category for days. Calling them green doesn’t make the air any less grey.”

Also Read

1. ‘Ban Not Ideal Or Practical’: SC Gives Conditional Nod To Green Crackers
2. Green Crackers: Are We Really Heading Toward A Pollution-Free Diwali?