The Delhi government-imposed ban on bursting, manufacturing, storing and selling of firecrackers under Section 9B of the Explosives Act. (Photo: Reuters) 
The Delhi government-imposed ban on bursting, manufacturing, storing and selling of firecrackers under Section 9B of the Explosives Act. (Photo: Reuters) Diwali is just around the corner, but Delhi NCR, unlike majority of India, has continued the blanket ban on crackers just like last year. A study done by Chest Research Foundation, Pune in 2019, has elaborated how emissions from different crackers are equivalent to the number of cigarettes a person smokes.
The Air Pollution and Cigarettes Equivalence by Berkeley showed that the snake tablet cracker emits the highest amount of PM2.5. Its PM2.5 falls around 64,500 which is equivalent to smoking 2,932 cigarettes. Garland cracker like Ladi of 1000 emits 38,450 PM2.5 which is the same as smoking 1,752 cigarettes.
The Hunter cracker when fired can emit 28,950 PM2.5, harming lungs as much as 1,316 cigarettes can. Whereas Fuljadi emits 10,390 PM2.5 which is equivalent to 472 cigarettes.
As mentioned in the research, Chakri emits 9,490 PM2.5, the same as 431 cigarettes and Anar can cause smoke as much as 221 cigarettes. The air quality index has readings between zero and 50 termed as 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
The Delhi government-imposed ban on bursting, manufacturing, storing and selling of firecrackers under Section 9B of the Explosives Act. Manufacturing, storing and selling of firecrackers in the Union Territory will attract a fine of Rs 5,000 and a jail term of three years. The Supreme Court has refused to hear a plea seeking the removal of a blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi and other states. The top court has said that there are a lot of ways to spend the money lavishly spent on buying crackers, for example people can buy sweets.
We human beings inhale 11,000 litres of air daily. And if this air is polluted, it can do much damage. According to research, burning firecrackers produces exceptionally high levels of PM2.5 pollutants - akin to smoking hundreds of cigarettes daily - that can have adverse health effects.
Also read: 'Spend money on sweet': SC refuses to lift ban on firecrackers in Delhi
Also read: Delhi government withdraws Rs 500 fine for not wearing masks ahead of Diwali
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