Areas where crackers are made:

Areas where cracker production takes place in India are: Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh & Chennai. Sivakasi, a backward district of Virdhunagar accounts for 80 to 90% of fireworks production in India & the trade volume runs to about Rs.700 crore per annum.

Cracker Production:

• Everyday, more than 50000 to 1,00,000 kids, as old as 8 years of age, work with the dangerous chemicals and substances to make fireworks and matches to be shipped across the country falling prey to numerous health hazards.

• Sivakasi is reported to have the highest concentration of child labourers in the world.

• These kids start their day 3 am to 5 am in the morning and get back by 6 pm to 9 pm.

• These kids dye the outer paper, stick labels, dip materials in hot chemicals, roll gun powder, make crackers & fireworks & pack the final product for more than 10 hours a day.

• Most of these units pay on piece rate basis and children earn only 50% of what is earned by adults.

• All workers are exposed to airborne concentrations of hazardous substances like sulphur, nitrates, potash etc. that leads to disorders of liver, kidney, skin and eyes.

• With no proper training or protective gear, bad working conditions; accidents and blasts in these units are frequent.

• Some people refer to them as “human bombs” as any day could be their last days.

• Despite anti-firecracker and child labour eradication campaigns & the directive of Supreme Court there has only been a little fall in demand.

• Illegal manufacturing units mushroom during the festival season, where children are still hired.

• In 2005, fire in a factory producing crackers in Khusrupur injured about 10000 children and killed many. Most of the kids were in the age group 8 to 16 years. This is only one just incident out of many that occur each year.

Laws in India regarding cracker production, sale and use:

i) Central Pollution Control Board of India has banned firecrackers with more than 125 decibel level at a distance of 4 meters from point of bursting. It also prohibits selling crackers in silence zones like courts, hospitals, religious places and educational institutions.
ii) The Supreme Court of India observed that “the right to peaceful sleep is a fundamental right of the citizens”, hence it has banned crackers between 10pm to 6am during the festival seasons and has also passed orders seeking adherence to anti-noise pollution norms for firecrackers.
iii) The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) amended “noise pollution” defined in the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986. It also banned the manufacture, sale and use of fire-crackers generating noise levels exceeding 125 dB (AL) or 145 dB (C) notified in October 1999. But the amendment remains unimplemented till now.
iv) Police authorities have been authorized to enforce rules regarding noise pollution.
v) Certain cities like Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai have taken cognizance of fire crackers menace and have been issuing orders to prohibit crackers violating decibel limits and other measures.
vi) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) - National Physical Laboratory conducted a study which estimates that 95% of crackers violate noise and pollution norms.
vii) DK Biswas, former chairman, Central Pollution Control Board says, “Unless noise pollution standards are enforced at the place of manufacture, it is impossible to regulate them”. The Controller of Explosives have been directed to limit licenses for fire crackers.

Laws in other countries regarding cracker production, sale and use:

Many countries have effective laws to deal with problems created by fireworks and crackers. Pyrotechnic firework displays have been an easy alternative for many but environmental effects of the same are manifold still. There have been suggestions of using laser light displays in order to do away with such pollution causing displays.

It is popular to watch firework displays in many countries. But there are special firework legislations governing them as they are explosive and burn at high temperature. Thereby, they require careful handling, possession, storage and sale.

US: Owing to the environmental effects of using fireworks like the chemicals causing water contamination, acid rain, air pollution etc. US restricts the use of fireworks as per the Clean Air Act. There are specific state laws that regulate the fireworks usage.

New York Fireworks Laws: There are no specifically permitted consumer fireworks whereas firecrackers, bombs, sparklers, skyrockets, torpedoes etc. are specifically prohibited consumer fireworks.
Even for display fireworks there are strict operation licenses, display permits and insurance that needs to be taken in order to carry them out.
Apart from that safe manufacture, storage areas, transportation laws are specified in their state law.

Washington D.C., Fireworks Laws: Specifically permitted consumer fireworks include: cones, sparklers (having length less than 20”), colored lights, torches etc. Specifically prohibited fireworks include: firecrackers or any other fireworks that can explode like cherry bombs, floral shells, artillery shells etc. Or the person needs to move after the cracker has been lit up like bottle rockets, pinwheels, parachutes etc.
Even for display fireworks there are strict operation licenses, display permits and insurance that needs to be taken in order to carry them out.
Apart from that safe manufacture, storage areas, transportation laws are specified in their state law.

UK Penalties: In UK, it is an offence to throw or set off fireworks in any street, highway or public place. There are huge penalties and fines for the same. According to the Fireworks Act 2003, it is also an offence to possess fireworks in public place & for anyone to set off fireworks during night time between 11pm to 7 am.

References:

India Together

Toxics Link

Wikipedia

Thestar.com

http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/toxicfireworks.htm

http://www.berr.gov.uk/fireworks/law.htm

http://www.fireworks.com/fireworks_laws/

http://www.lycos.com/info/fireworks-pyrotechnic–united-states.html