Diwali 2021: Hyderabad residents switch to eco-friendly crackers ahead of festive season

Ahead of Diwali, many people are switching to green or eco-friendly crackers in Hyderabad. K Venugopal, General Secretary, Telangana Fireworks Dealers Association, noted, "There's demand for eco-friendly firecrackers this year. As of now, the sale is good and it's expected to improve in the coming days."

Pratheek, a customer, said, "I am going to celebrate this Diwali with his family members and have come to buy the eco-friendly and pollution-free Green Crackers in this shop." The Supreme Court has previously stated that there is no blanket ban on the use of firecrackers and that only those crackers containing Barium salts, chemical crackers, or those proven to be harmful to health are banned.

Supreme Court on Fireworks 

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court said that firecracker makers are using banned items under the guise of green crackers and that every state must comply with its prior ruling banning joint crackers. The Supreme Court, according to Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna, is not opposed to celebrations, but not at the expense of other citizens' lives.

It stated that celebration does not have to include the use of loud crackers and can also include non-noisy activities such as "Fuljhaddi" and the like. "Our earlier order must be complied with by every state. Despite the fact that there is a specific ban on joint crackers, if you go to any state or city or any celebration, joint crackers are openly available in the market. Our order must be complied with. It is not the question of whether one content or the other. It is being sold openly in the market and used by people. We would like to know if a ban is there, how come they are available in markets," the bench said.

The Supreme Court had previously refused to put a blanket ban on the selling of firecrackers, instead stating that only licenced traders can sell them and that only green crackers can be sold. Firecrackers are no longer available for purchase online. The decision came in response to a petition demanding a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of firecrackers in order to reduce air pollution.

(with inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI