New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, allowed the bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Diwali within a restricted time limit. Firecrackers will be allowed only between 6 am and 7 am, and then from 8 pm to 10 pm and will be sold from October 18 to 20, the Court has directed.
“As a temporary measure, we allow bursting of crackers from October 18 to 21. Crackers are smuggled into Delhi-NCR, and they cause more damage than green firecrackers,” Chief Justice of India B R Gavai said while reading out the order relaxing the blanket ban on firecrackers in the region.
“We have to take a balanced approach, permitting it in moderation while not compromising with the environment,” the CJI noted.
The sale and bursting of only certified green crackers with QR codes will be permitted in designated locations, the bench of the CJI and Justice K Vinod Chandran clarified. Police officers, in consultation with the district administration, will form patrol teams, including officers from the State Pollution Control Board, to monitor the designated points of sale.
No crackers from outside Delhi-NCR can be sold within the region. Patrol teams will conduct regular checks to ensure that only green crackers with QR codes are being sold. In case of violation of the order, those responsible will not only be punished, but their licences and registrations will get cancelled.
Firecrackers containing deadly Barium and those not approved as green crackers by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will not be permitted, the bench observed. The court also banned the sale and purchase of firecrackers via e-commerce websites.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), state pollution control boards, and their respective regional offices within the districts falling under the NCR will monitor air quality in their respective jurisdictions. The pollution control boards will also submit the air quality report from October 14 to 25 when the matter comes up for hearing next after three weeks.
On October 10, the Supreme Court had reserved its orders on pleas submitted by the Centre and Delhi government seeking permission to manufacture and sell green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during the festive season. The Centre had proposed a limited relaxation window during Diwali, Christmas and Guru Purab.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had announced a year-round ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of all types of firecrackers within the National Capital Territory in July this year, aimed at tackling the city’s persistent air pollution problem, especially after Diwali.
Just four months before this ban, the Supreme Court had imposed a year-long blanket ban on firecrackers, including green crackers, in Delhi-NCR.
In 2024, the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi imposed a similar blanket ban on crackers. At the time, the BJP strongly opposed the restriction, calling it against the sentiments of Delhi residents.
