Short Note: Legal and Policy Stance on Chemicals in Fireworks in India

What are different chemicals used in firecrackers? What are legal and policy stances on the chemicals in firecrackers in India?

In an attempt to prevent air pollution from firecrackers, the Supreme Court (SC) has shifted its attention to the chemicals that are used to manufacture firecrackers. Following this recently, SC has banned five chemicals i.e. Lead, Arsenic, Mercury, Lithium and Antimony. These are considered as highly inflammable, harmful, cancer causing etc. besides these other chemical that are used in firecrackers are as follows:

• Aluminium powder used in sparkles
• Sulphur and potassium nitrate for noise making firecrackers
• Barium nitrate for green colour, strontium nitrate for red colour and their combination for different colours.
• Charcoal is used as fuel.

The various legal and policy stances on chemical firecrackers in India are as follows:

• To manufacture gunpowder up to 15 Kgs or less, district magistrate or police commissioner gives the permission. For 15-500 Kg, Controller of Explosives and for larger quantities Chief Controller of Explosives gives the permission.
• The SC has given the responsibility of compliance to the rules and regulation to Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
• The Explosives Act of 1884 and Explosives Rules of 2008 governs the storage, display and materials used for manufacture of firecrackers.
• There is also restriction on the sound level the firecracker makes. PESO tests the samples and ensures that that manufactures adheres to the sound limit of 125 decibels at a distance of four meters.

The main concern remains to bring the procurement of raw materials by manufactures under the purview of Explosives Act.