Politics · India Bureau
Supreme Court clears manufacture of joined green crackers in Sivakasi
India's apex court has permitted the production of joined green crackers, offering relief to the Sivakasi fireworks industry after a six-year manufacturing ban. The segment, which previously accounted for at least one-fifth of total fireworks output, was prohibited in 2018 over environmental pollution concerns.
LSN India ·
The Supreme Court's decision to allow manufacture of joined green crackers marks a significant reversal for Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi fireworks cluster, which has faced considerable production constraints since the 2018 ban. Industry stakeholders have responded with optimism to the ruling, viewing it as recognition that environmentally-compliant production methods warrant reconsideration.
Joined crackers—firecrackers bound together in clusters—represented a substantial portion of the region's output before the prohibition took effect. At their peak, such products comprised at least 20 percent of total fireworks sector production, making the ban a considerable economic blow to manufacturers in the traditional fireworks hub.
The court's permission comes with the condition that manufacturers produce only green crackers meeting prescribed environmental standards. This stipulation reflects ongoing judicial concern about air and noise pollution while permitting the resumption of a historically significant production category.
Sivakasi, long established as a major fireworks manufacturing centre, has weathered multiple regulatory restrictions in recent years aimed at curbing pollution during festival seasons. The latest development is expected to provide operational flexibility to manufacturers and potentially restore some production capacity lost over the past several years.