Lok Sabha Question No. 2027 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Pollution by Green Crackers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Vishnu Dayal Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2027

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## Pollution by Green Crackers

## 2027.   SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the green crackers have severely compromised the Air Quality Index of NCR;
- (b) the  details  of  the  decrease  in  particulate  matter  in  years  which  experienced  burning  of normal crackers versus burning of green crackers 2022;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  ban  the  sale  of  all  types  of  crackers  in  the future; and
- (d) whether the Government accounted for the emissions caused by green crackers in its net zero  carbon  ambitions,  if  so,  the  percentage  of  carbon  emissions  are  caused  by  green crackers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

## (a)  & (b)

There  is  no  such  evidence  available  regarding  severely  compromised  Air  Quality  Index  of NCR due to the green crackers.Air Quality Index Status (Number of days) of major cities of NCR including Delhi during June to November 2022 is given as Annexure-I .The months of October  and  November  2022  have  been  one  of  the  best  for  Delhi-NCR  in  respect  of  the average Air Quality Index (AQI) during the last 7 years.

The  concentrations  of  PM10  and  PM2.5  recorded  in  Delhi  on  one  day  before  Diwali  and Diwali day during 2018 to 2022 is given as Annexure-II . Variations in concentrations among the years are highly dependent on meteorology, atmospheric boundary layers (Mixing height) inversion etc. and influence of other sources in addition to firecrackers.

## (c)& (d)

There  is  no  proposal  of  banning  firecrackers.  However,  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  limited  the manufacturing  and  sale  of  conventional  firecrackers  and  allowed  only  the  crackers  with reduced emissions(minimum 30% less emission of particulate matter) as Green Crackers.Green firecrackers based on new and improved formulation are expected to decrease source emissions with  specific  reference  toparticulate  matter  and  gases  including  CO2 vis-a  vis conventional firecrackers.

*****

Annexure -I Air Quality Index Status (Number of days) of major cities during June to November 2022

|           | Month in 2021   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Number of days in different categories of AQI   | Good &Bad days   | Good &Bad days   |
|-----------|-----------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|------------------|------------------|
|           | Month in 2021   | Good (0-                                        | Satisfactory                                    | Moderate                                        | Poor (201-                                      | Very Poor (301- 400)                            | Severe                                          | Good Days        | Bad days         |
|           | Month in 2021   | 50)                                             | (51-100)                                        | (101-200)                                       | 300)                                            |                                                 | (>401)                                          | Good Days        | Bad days         |
|           | June            |                                                 | 3                                               | 14                                              | 10                                              | 3                                               |                                                 | 17               | 13               |
|           | July            |                                                 | 25                                              | 6                                               |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
|           | August          |                                                 | 18                                              | 13                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
|           | September       | 1                                               | 11                                              | 18                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
|           | October         | 2                                               | 4                                               | 8                                               | 10                                              | 7                                               |                                                 | 14               | 17               |
|           | November        |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 12                                              | 15                                              | 3                                               | 0                | 30               |
| Ghaziabad | June            |                                                 | 2                                               | 13                                              | 11                                              | 4                                               |                                                 | 15               | 15               |
| Ghaziabad | July            | 2                                               | 21                                              | 7                                               |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
| Ghaziabad | August          | 2                                               | 17                                              | 12                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
| Ghaziabad | September       | 3                                               | 11                                              | 16                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
| Ghaziabad | October         | 5                                               | 1                                               | 6                                               | 13                                              | 6                                               |                                                 | 12               | 19               |
| Ghaziabad | November        |                                                 |                                                 | 5                                               | 13                                              | 10                                              | 2                                               | 5                | 25               |
|           | June            |                                                 | 2                                               | 13                                              | 10                                              | 5                                               |                                                 | 15               | 15               |
|           | July            | 1                                               | 24                                              | 5                                               |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
|           | August          | 3                                               | 19                                              | 9                                               |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
|           | September       | 1                                               | 14                                              | 15                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
|           | October         | 3                                               | 3                                               | 8                                               | 11                                              | 6                                               |                                                 | 14               | 17               |
|           | November        |                                                 |                                                 | 6                                               | 13                                              | 9                                               | 2                                               | 6                | 24               |
|           | June            |                                                 | 1                                               | 13                                              | 12                                              | 4                                               |                                                 | 14               | 16               |
|           | July            | 2                                               | 14                                              | 12                                              | 2                                               |                                                 |                                                 | 28               | 2                |
|           | August          | 2                                               | 16                                              | 13                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
|           | September       | 1                                               | 8                                               | 21                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
|           | October         | 4                                               | 2                                               | 8                                               | 11                                              | 6                                               |                                                 | 14               | 17               |
|           | November        |                                                 |                                                 | 1                                               | 18                                              | 9                                               | 2                                               | 1                | 29               |
| Faridabad | June            |                                                 | 3                                               | 16                                              | 9                                               | 2                                               |                                                 | 19               | 11               |
| Faridabad | July            |                                                 | 17                                              | 13                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
| Faridabad | August          | 1                                               | 5                                               | 25                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 31               | 0                |
| Faridabad | September       | 2                                               | 11                                              | 17                                              |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 | 30               | 0                |
| Faridabad | October         | 4                                               | 2                                               | 10                                              | 8                                               | 7                                               |                                                 | 16               | 15               |
| Faridabad | November        |                                                 |                                                 | 1                                               | 15                                              | 12                                              | 2                                               | 1                | 29               |

Annexure -II Concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 recorded in Delhi on one day before Diwali and

Diwali day during 2018 to 2022:

| Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   | Year wise (2018-2022) comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 during Pre-Diwali days and Diwali Day   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year/ Day                                                                                  | 2018                                                                                       | 2018                                                                                       | 2018                                                                                       | 2019                                                                                       | 2019                                                                                       | 2019                                                                                       | 2020                                                                                       | 2020                                                                                       | 2020                                                                                       | 2021                                                                                       | 2021                                                                                       | 2021                                                                                       | 2022                                                                                       | 2022                                                                                       | 2022                                                                                       |
| Year/ Day                                                                                  | Dates                                                                                      | PM2.5                                                                                      | PM10                                                                                       | Dates                                                                                      | PM2.5                                                                                      | PM10                                                                                       | Dates                                                                                      | PM2.5                                                                                      | PM10                                                                                       | Dates                                                                                      | PM2.5                                                                                      | PM10                                                                                       | Dates                                                                                      | PM2.5                                                                                      | PM10                                                                                       |
| 1 Day Before Diwali                                                                        | 06-Nov                                                                                     | 149                                                                                        | 290                                                                                        | 26- Oct                                                                                    | 173                                                                                        | 315                                                                                        | 13- Nov                                                                                    | 235                                                                                        | 399                                                                                        | 03- Nov                                                                                    | 176                                                                                        | 328                                                                                        | 23- Oct                                                                                    | 146                                                                                        | 274                                                                                        |
| Diwali day                                                                                 | 07-Nov                                                                                     | 324                                                                                        | 432                                                                                        | 27- Oct                                                                                    | 284                                                                                        | 391                                                                                        | 14- Nov                                                                                    | 483                                                                                        | 645                                                                                        | 04- Nov                                                                                    | 447                                                                                        | 575                                                                                        | 24- Oct                                                                                    | 208                                                                                        | 308                                                                                        |