Supreme Court allows green crackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7-8, full ban returns from November 9

The Supreme Court has temporarily relaxed the year-round firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR for Diwali. It has allowed certified green crackers to be burst on November 7 and 8 within two short time windows each day. The complete ban will return from November 9.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale passed the order on October 29 in the long-running Arjun Gopal v Union of India case on air pollution. The order was made public on Monday. Bursting is allowed only from 6 am to 7 am and from 8 pm to 10 pm on both days.

Strict conditions on sale and use

Only green crackers approved by the government research laboratory CSIR-NEERI may be made or sold. Manufacturers holding valid CSIR-NEERI and explosives safety (PESO) licences may produce listed products between November 2 and 6. Licences of traders that had been cancelled have been temporarily restored for sales from November 4 to 6. Crackers can be sold only at locations chosen by district authorities and police, and online sale is barred.

Strings of joined crackers, known as 'ladis', garlands and products containing barium remain prohibited. Each sealed box must carry a QR code linked to the manufacturer, its licences and the product's formulation. Bursting is not allowed within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones, which will be publicised as no-cracker zones. Police have been told to check sale points and vehicles entering the region and to seize illegal stock.

Why the court changed course

According to legal news reports, the bench said a blanket ban looked like the ideal solution, but there was not enough data to show that prohibition alone reduces pollution. It noted that air quality readings did not improve significantly after the total ban in 2024. It also noted that pollution spiked around Dussehra this year despite the prohibition, and that conventional crackers are often passed off as green ones.

The court said states had failed to provide the data it sought last year on the effect of green crackers. Pollution control boards must now publish daily air quality reports for the periods before, during and after Diwali. States must also report hospital admissions after the festival. Compliance reports are due by December 14, and the case will be heard again on December 16, with the court warning of contempt action for violations.

What it means for residents

For Delhi-NCR residents, the order brings a short, tightly regulated window rather than a free-for-all. How well it is enforced will be watched closely, as the region's air quality usually worsens in early November because of low winds, falling temperatures and stubble burning in neighbouring states.