Green crackers gain ground as Hyderabad shoppers return to firework stalls, spending rises to ₹5,000 | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: Nearly 90% of the firecrackers being sold in Hyderabad’s major markets are CSIR-NEERI-certified green crackers, with traders saying that established shops in Begum Bazaar, Osmangunj and other trading hubs have stocked predominantly eco-friendly varieties ahead of Diwali.“Since the high court judgment was passed in 2020, we have been selling only CSIR-NEERI-certified green fireworks. Most people are not aware of these green crackers. They ask for the loudest and most colourful ones; they end up buying green fireworks by default,” said Sanjay Bhope, owner of Shanti Fireworks.From sparklers to rockets and colourful fountains, traders said there was little difference in the appearance or prices of green crackers and conventional fireworks. While a few smaller stalls continue to sell other varieties, larger shops said they were stocking only certified products.Green crackers, developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), use modified chemical formulations to reduce particulate emissions by at least 30% compared with conventional fireworks.“We usually look for rockets and double-shot fireworks every year, along with smaller crackers such as sparklers and fountains. We did not know there was a separate category of green crackers. If the price is similar, there is no reason not to buy them,” said Sathya R, who was shopping for crackers worth ₹7,000 in Begum Bazaar.Immadisetty Pratap Kumar, general secretary of the Telangana Fireworks Dealers Association (TFDA), said: “Manufacturers have been working on replacing conventional chemical compositions with purified formulations to reduce emissions.” “The association has also asked its members to sell Indian-made fireworks and avoid Chinese products,” he added.Meanwhile, after relatively subdued footfall over the past couple of weeks, shoppers have started thronging firework stalls and picking up a variety of products, with average spending rising from around ₹2,000 to ₹5,000.“While claims are that green crackers reduce particulate emissions by 30%, they do not eliminate pollution. An independent body needs to scientifically assess the impact of the different chemical formulations used in these fireworks. Consumers must also be made aware of what they are purchasing rather than simply going by labels,” said environmentalist Narsimha Reddy.