Diwali 2021 to be cracker-less in Odisha despite HC’s permission for green crackers!

Bhubaneswar: Even as the Orissa High Court has granted permission for the sale and use of green crackers in the state during this year’s Diwali festival, the occasion might be celebrated cracker-less.

Akash Patnaik, Bhubaneswar Firecrackers Traders’ Association Secretary, said green crackers are yet to reach the local markets. There is no chance of green crackers being available in the markets by Diwali, he said.

Green crackers, more expensive than normal firecrackers, are not manufactured in Odisha. Such crackers are produced in some factories in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu. With merely a day left for Diwali, procuring green crackers from Sivakasi and bringing those to Odisha for selling is not possible for the traders, he said.

The Orissa High Court had yesterday granted permission for the sale and use of green crackers in the state during Diwali festival, this year.

The court has permitted bursting of green crackers for two hours on Diwali from 8 PM to 10 PM.

However, the green crackers need to be approved by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), the court said.

The All Odisha Fireworks Dealers Association had moved the High Court seeking permission for sale of green crackers in Odisha on Diwali.

The green crackers, developed by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), emit pollutants 30% lesser than normal firecrackers.

The green crackers are made using less polluting raw materials. Green crackers produce 110-125 decibels of sound while the normal ones emit about 160 decibels.

The manufacturers of green crackers need to sign a deal with the CSIR in order to produce such crackers.

In India, three types of green crackers– SWAS, STAR and SAFAL– are available.