How to tell green fireworks from fake ones in Kolkata markets

Only green firecrackers that emit up to 90 decibel sound at 5 metres from the point of explosion can be lit between 8pm and 10pm on DiwaliHow to tell green fireworks from fake ones in Kolkata markets

Several police officers The Telegraph spoke to said that it was practically difficult to check the veracity of an entire lot of firecrackers by scanning QR codes on all boxes of the same brand.

Representational picture

MONALISA CHAUDHURI |   TT   |   10.22, 06  :  Several police officers The Telegraph spoke to said that it was practically difficult to check the veracity of an entire lot of firecrackers by scanning QR codes on all boxes of the same brand.

The police top brass has asked cops to install scanning apps on their smartphones and carry out random checks by scanning QR codes on fireworks packets to ascertain whether they are green fireworks or not.

According to court guidelines, only green firecrackers that produce up to 90 decibel sound at 5 metres from the point of explosion can be lit between 8pm and 10pm on Diwali.

The Telegraph prepares a list of how to tell green firecrackers from fake ones.

How to identify green firecrackers?

The identification can be done by scanning the QR code printed on the packet. How to scan a QR code? A QR code can be scanned with a scanner app installed on a smartphone. 

What to expect after scanning the code?

On scanning a QR code, a certificate should be generated mentioning the name and nature of the firework; details such as name and address of the manufacturer, chemical composition of the firework and the percentage of each chemical in the firework; and percentage of reduction in emission, a police officer said. The certificate should be on the letterhead of CSIR-NEERI with the official seal of the authorised signatory of CSIR-NEERI.