HYDERABAD: For all those, who want to go green and yet not lose out on the fun during Diwali, eco-friendly crackers are on sale in the city.These crackers are traditional rockets with 16 shots minus lights and sound.Called ‘Ring- O-Magic’, a box of these costs Rs. 400.Speaking about the environmentfriendly crackers, the Twin Cities Fireworks Shop Owners’ Association president K Sai Kumar says the rockets create low decibel noise compared to the usual ones and there is no smoke. “Instead, once the cracker bursts in the air, it lets out bits of paper,” he explains. Despite the green touch given to the festivities, Sai Kumar is sceptical about the sales of this variety. “Not many buy them. People buy crackers for the light and sound.This does not appeal to them,” he regrets. However, Padmaja, an activist and founder of Caring Hands for Animals, who has been campaigning against crackers, is not impressed with the eco-friendly crackers. “They do create noise, though at a lower decibel level. These crackers are still harmful to animals as they are sharper to pick up these sounds,” she claims. Sai Kumar, who has been in the fireworks business for the past 25 years, finds a slight change in the preferences of people. “Earlier, people used to buy bombs and other crackers which created more noise. But now, people want the visual appeal as well.They prefer a variety of rockets which give out shots in the air and light up the night sky in various designs. What have remained popular throughout are Sparkles, ZammenChakra and Flowerpots. They are still are the most sought-after,” he says, pointing out that Diwali sans the noise and smoke is no festival.
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