Local cracker manufacturers seek certification for their crackers

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has ordered a complete ban on selling and bursting any traditional firecrackers until further notice. The PCB has set a time frame of maximum of two hours for bursting of only green crackers– from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali. In the wake of the PCB order, local cracker manufacturers have urged the government to certify whether the crackers manufactured by them fall under the category of green crackers or not.

The cracker industry in Barpeta is nearly 130 years old. Talking to The Sentinel, Barpeta Aatishbazi Silpa Samabay Sammittee chairman Gopjit Pathak said, "Last year our cracker industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year we were hoping that business would bloom but the PCB has allowed people to burst only green crackers during a two-hour window. This has put us in a difficult situation."

He further said, "From our years of experience and expertise, we feel that the firecrackers manufactured by us are green crackers. But we want proper certification from the PCB." He added, "Usually retailers buy firecrackers from us a month before Diwali. But this year, due to the PCB order, our stock of firecrackers worth Rs 50 lakh are lying as retailers have not bought crackers from us as yet. We are just selling firecrackers to individuals." Pathak said that around 400 people depended on the firecracker industry in Barpeta for their livelihood. "We urge the government to take initiative for the certification of our crackers," he said.

When contacted, a PCB official said, "The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) issues the certificate for green crackers. Cracker manufacturers must contact NEERI to get the certification."

NEERI has come up with a 'CSIR NEERI Green QR Code app' to scan the QR codes on firecracker boxes to verify whether the crackers are green crackers or not. If the crackers are genuinely green, their certification will show.

Also Read: Bursting of crackers prohibited near Guwahati Refinery, oil pipelines

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