Mumbai: Green firecrackers tests find high barium levels, NGO writes to CM

An undated photo of Awaaz Foundation founder Sumaira Abdulali with green crackers. PIC/By Special arrangement

Claiming that firecrackers being sold in the market contain toxic chemicals, the Awaaz Foundation wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, asking him to intervene and ensure the enforcement of rules regarding the sale of these products.

As part of its annual exercise of testing firecrackers ahead of the festive season, the organisation procured 17 firecrackers such as ‘Ground Chakkar Deluxe', ‘Flower Pot', ‘Serpent Egg Big', and ‘Pooja Plain' from Mohammed Ali Road and Kurla. These were then submitted to a Mumbai-based private lab on October 9 and 10.

"Of the 17 crackers tested, several were found to contain toxic chemicals, including high quantities of barium. Although all were marked as ‘green crackers', some did not have QR codes, while some a few such codes were found to be fake," stated the letter.

The Awaaz Foundation also reported that 11 of 17 firecrackers did not have the noise level limit mentioned on them and four out did not mention their chemical composition.

Awaaz Foundation founder Sumaira Abdulali told mid-day, "We tried to select crackers that emit smoke and colour. These crackers were only tested for metals, and not their overall chemical composition."

Now, the organisation has asked the CM to personally intervene and make sure that the restrictions on firecrackers are enforced during distribution, sale, and usage as Devi Visarjan, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Christmas, and New Year are fast approaching.

[popcorn number="17" desc="No. of firecrackers sent for testing" class="Default"]