‘Delhi's air will be very bad after Diwali’: SC judge on request to defer a hearing

Justice Vikram Nath meant that Delhi’s air quality was expected to deteriorate after Diwali, when firecracker use can add smoke and fine particles to the air. His comment was made during a hearing about postponing another case, but it highlighted a serious public-health concern.

The judge first offered November 3 for the matter. When senior advocate Indira Jaising requested November 17 instead, he joked that the environment would be cleaner before Diwali and worse afterward. Jaising replied that Delhi was already extremely polluted before the festival.

The remark matters because the Supreme Court was separately considering whether firecrackers should be allowed. Existing orders ban their bursting, sale, and distribution across Delhi and the National Capital Region, although last year the court allowed a limited window. The court was again weighing health protection against festival celebrations.

Indira Jaising was asking the Supreme Court to adjourn a matter and list it for November 17. Justice Vikram Nath was initially willing to give November 3 instead. Their brief exchange turned to Delhi’s air because both dates fell around Diwali, a period associated in the article with severe pollution.

Nath said the environment would be cleaner before Diwali and worse afterward. Jaising disagreed that the earlier date would be better, saying Diwali was an extremely polluted time in Delhi. She also noted that the judges themselves had to endure the city’s bad air, while she was appearing virtually.

The timing discussion therefore mixed scheduling with a real environmental concern. It also came just before another Supreme Court bench was due to hear the separate question of whether firecrackers could be sold and used during Diwali.

Air pollution means harmful gases, smoke, and particles are present in the atmosphere at levels that can damage health or the environment. The article discusses Delhi’s worsening air but does not explain measurement methods or categories. Those details come from established air-quality practice.

India commonly uses the Air Quality Index, or AQI, which combines readings for pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, and carbon monoxide. Fine particles called PM2.5 and larger PM10 particles are especially important. Monitoring stations measure pollutant concentrations, and the AQI converts them into an overall score.

India’s standard categories are Good, Satisfactory, Moderate, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. The commonly used ranges are 0–50, 51–100, 101–200, 201–300, 301–400, and 401–500. The article uses “very bad” conversationally, not as a formal AQI category.

There is no reliable single percentage showing how much firecrackers contribute compared with vehicles, industry, dust, or other sources. The article does not provide figures. Their contribution changes with the amount and type of fireworks, weather, location, traffic, construction, industrial activity, and pollution transported from elsewhere.

Firecrackers release smoke and fine particles in a short period. That timing can produce a dramatic local spike in pollution, even when they are not the largest year-round source. Vehicles and industry emit pollutants more continuously, while road and construction dust can contribute heavily to coarse particles. Different studies and monitoring locations can therefore produce different comparisons.

The practical lesson is that Diwali fireworks are one preventable source during a vulnerable period, not necessarily the only or largest source overall. The court’s proposed middle path involves less-polluting green crackers, regulated times, and possible limits on sale and use.

Breathing heavily polluted air exposes the body to irritating gases and tiny particles. The article specifically warns about breathing and other health-related complications for children, older people, and those who are already sick. These groups may have less ability to tolerate sudden pollution increases or may already have vulnerable lungs and hearts.

Established medical knowledge links polluted air with coughing, throat and eye irritation, wheezing, asthma attacks, reduced lung function, and worsening chronic lung disease. Severe or prolonged exposure can also increase cardiovascular strain and the risk of serious illness. The article itself does not list these specific conditions, so they provide general context rather than article-reported findings.

That health risk explains why the court is considering limits on firecrackers. It must weigh festival celebrations and religious beliefs against citizens’ right to health. The proposed use of less-polluting green crackers is intended to reduce, not eliminate, the danger.

The Supreme Court is involved because it is monitoring Delhi’s pollution through a suo motu proceeding arising from advocate MC Mehta’s petition. A separate 2015 petition by three toddlers sought a complete firecracker ban because of harm to children, older people, and sick people. These cases placed firecracker regulation before the court.

The court’s orders already ban bursting, sale, and distribution of firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region. Last year, however, it created a limited window for sale and bursting. That approach tried to balance citizens’ right to health with festival celebrations and the right to observe religious beliefs.

This year, retailers requested another court-monitored arrangement. They proposed specified dates for sale and regulated times for bursting crackers. The court indicated that a practical and pragmatic approach was needed, including promoting green crackers and considering reduced barium and lower-emission formulations.

Delhi’s air can become polluted when emissions accumulate faster than the atmosphere removes them. Around Diwali, a large burst of firecracker smoke may add particles within hours. If winds are weak, the pollutants spread slowly. Stable air can also limit vertical mixing, keeping pollution closer to the breathing zone.

In established atmospheric science, nighttime cooling can create a temperature inversion. A warmer layer above cooler surface air acts like a lid, trapping emissions below it. Low wind speeds and a shallow mixing layer increase concentrations. Humidity can make some particles grow and can worsen haze, while rain and stronger winds generally help clear the air.

The source article does not discuss these weather processes, so they provide general context rather than reported findings. The court’s concern remains immediate: pollution may be worse after Diwali, when fireworks could add emissions during already poor conditions.