Diwali 2025: How much cleaner are green crackers really?

Every Diwali, the air turns into a smoky battlefield — joyous bursts of light above, choking clouds of sulphur below. And right on cue, “green crackers” have become the festival’s shiny new PR stunt. The idea sounds perfect: celebrate responsibly without smothering your lungs. But does this eco-friendly firework revolution actually hold up?

Green crackers reduce some pollution, yet the country’s air still suffers

In theory, yes. These green crackers are engineered to cut toxic emissions by 30–40%, a decent start in a country that treats clean air like a luxury. Developed by CSIR-NEERI, they ditch banned chemicals like barium nitrate, one of the main culprits behind Diwali’s annual smog marathon. Instead, they rely on alternative compounds that release less sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide — the gases that make your throat feel like sandpaper before Diwali ends.

Then there’s the noise factor. Green crackers promise to stay below 125 decibels, which means dogs, toddlers, and our sleep-deprived selves will be able to survive the night with our sanity intact. The science backs it, and the certification stamps are all in place. On paper, this sounds like progress.

But here’s the inconvenient truth — they’re not miracle pops. Even the “eco” versions still emit smoke, particulate matter, and heavy metals. And when millions of people light them at once, “40% less” pollution still translates to a toxic haze. Add in winter’s stubborn air inversion and the farm fires from Punjab, and you’ve basically got a smog smoothie.

So yes, green crackers are better than the old-school lung assassins. But calling them “green” is generous — they’re more like “light olive.” Until we collectively swap the boom for the glow — diyas, lasers, music, anything that doesn’t burn — the air after Diwali will keep tasting like regret. After all, the festival of light was never supposed to be a festival of fine dust.

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