Lifestyle

Green Crackers Explained: How to Identify Them in Chennai

Green crackers carry a logo and a QR code and cut particulate emissions by about a third. Here is how to check them and treat a burn.

19 October 2026

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A green cracker is not a cracker that makes no smoke. It is a firework made to a reduced-emission formula developed by CSIR’s National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), which the government says cuts particulate matter by about 30 per cent compared with conventional crackers. The easiest way to recognise one in a Chennai shop is the green fireworks logo and a QR code printed on the box.

Tamil Nadu has asked residents to use only green crackers in recent years, and the state’s 2025 Deepavali advisory repeated that. With Deepavali on 8 November this year, here is what the label means, how to check it, and what to do if someone gets burnt.

What makes a cracker “green”

The term grew out of the Supreme Court’s 2018 hearings on air pollution. Faced with a possible ban that threatened the Sivakasi industry and its workers, CSIR scientists worked on new formulations. According to the PIB release of October 2019, NEERI defined green crackers together with PESO (the explosives regulator), the Central Pollution Control Board and the environment ministry, and set baseline levels for barium for comparison.

The idea is fewer harmful ingredients, not zero. Reduced-emission crackers avoid barium compounds, which the Supreme Court has barred from fireworks, and use smaller amounts of some other chemicals. The 2019 release said green crackers come in familiar forms: sound crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkars and sparklers. Explainers on the scheme name three NEERI formulation families, known by the acronyms SWAS, STAR and SAFAL.

In December 2025, CSIR opened a Centre of Excellence for Green Firecrackers at CSIR-CECRI in Karaikudi, alongside a national centre at NEERI in Nagpur. The Karaikudi centre is meant to help manufacturers in the southern region, which in practice means the Sivakasi belt. The inauguration was held at the CSIR Madras Complex in Taramani, and the release put the reduction in particulate matter at 30 to 40 per cent.

How to identify a genuine green cracker

Look for the logo. Genuine products carry the green fireworks logo on the packet.
Scan the QR code. The 2019 PIB release said the QR system was introduced so buyers could check a product on a smartphone and so counterfeits could be caught. If the code does not scan or leads nowhere sensible, be cautious.
Check the manufacturer’s details. The box should name the maker and its licence. Unbranded or loose crackers have no place in your shopping bag.
Buy from a licensed shop. Temporary stalls must display a licence. Online sale of crackers was barred by the Supreme Court in 2018.

Remember that green crackers are still explosives and still make noise and smoke. They only make less of it.

Safe bursting at home

Burst crackers in an open space, not on a balcony, staircase or narrow lane between buildings.
Light the fuse at arm’s length with a long agarbatti or sparkler, then step back. Never lean over a cracker.
Wear cotton. Synthetic fabric catches fire quickly and sticks to skin.
Keep children under adult supervision, and keep a bucket of water nearby for used sparklers.
Never relight a dud. Wait, then soak it in water.
Do not carry crackers in your pocket or store them near the kitchen or a gas cylinder.

First aid for burns

The World Health Organization’s burns guidance sets out what to do in the first few minutes:

Stop the burning. If clothes catch fire, the person should stop, drop and roll, or be covered with a blanket. Remove clothing and jewellery near the burn unless it is stuck to the skin.
Cool with running water. Use cool, clean running tap water on the burn, not ice.
Cover loosely. Wrap the person in a clean cloth or sheet and get them to a hospital.

The same guidance lists what not to do, and several of these are common household remedies in Chennai:

Do not apply toothpaste, oil, turmeric (haldi), paste or raw cotton.
Do not apply ice, which can deepen the injury.
Do not burst blisters.
Do not cool a large burn for so long that the person, especially a child, gets chilled.

Burns to the face, hands, eyes or genitals, burns larger than the person’s palm, and any burn in a small child need a doctor straight away. Call 108 for an ambulance. The Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital runs one of the state’s largest burns units; when it was upgraded in 2019 the ward had 70 beds, and a separate Deepavali burns ward was opened that year. Government hospitals usually announce festival arrangements in the days before Deepavali. This is general first-aid information; always follow a doctor’s advice for treatment.

Quick answers

How do I know if a cracker is green?

Check for the green fireworks logo and a QR code on the box, and buy only from a licensed seller.

Are green crackers pollution-free?

No. CSIR says they cut particulate emissions by roughly 30 to 40 per cent compared with conventional crackers.

Can I put ice or toothpaste on a cracker burn?

No. WHO advises cool running water, a clean covering and medical care. Ice, pastes and oil can make the injury worse.

Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.