SC allows green firecrackers in Delhi during Diwali

The Supreme Court created a narrow Diwali exception to the firecracker restrictions in Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region. It allowed only certified green firecrackers. The permission applied for two days and was linked to efforts to limit pollution during celebrations.

People could burst the approved crackers from 6 am to 8 pm on November 7. On November 8, Diwali, the permitted hours were 7 am to 10 pm. The court ordered the complete firecracker ban to return from November 9.

The court also told authorities to ensure that only green firecrackers approved by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute were sold. Crackers were barred within 300 metres of hospitals, health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones. Authorities were expected to monitor compliance and air quality.

Green firecrackers are fireworks made with modified chemical formulations. Their purpose is to produce less pollution than regular firecrackers. The article identifies them by what they leave out: certain harmful elements, including lithium, arsenic, barium and lead.

The difference is in their composition, not in whether they make noise, light or smoke. The Supreme Court therefore did not permit every product labelled “green.” It directed authorities to allow only those approved by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.

This distinction matters because green crackers reduce pollution rather than eliminate it. Even certified products can add emissions during a period when Delhi’s air is already poor. The court limited their use by date, time and location. It also required monitoring before, during and after Diwali to measure what happened to air quality.

A reading of 307 signals seriously polluted air, not a healthy day. The article reported Delhi’s average Air Quality Index at 307 at 7.05 am and described it as “very poor.” On India’s AQI scale, readings from 301 to 400 fall into that category, where prolonged exposure can affect health.

For comparison, an AQI from 0 to 50 is commonly classified as “good” in India. The article does not provide that healthy-range number. It does state that the morning after Diwali in 2024, Delhi’s pollution reached 14 times the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization, showing how sharply conditions can worsen.

AQI is a combined public indicator, not a direct measure of one pollutant. Authorities use pollutant readings to calculate it and communicate risk. A 307 reading therefore matters because it shows the city was already deeply polluted before the permitted Diwali bursting period began.

Green certification reduces pollution from a firecracker, but it does not remove every emission. Burning any firecracker can release gases and fine particles. During Diwali, many bursts may happen close together, creating a short, intense pollution spike. This matters most when Delhi’s air is already “very poor.”

The article gives a warning from the previous year. Despite restrictions, residents burst crackers outside the permitted period. On November 1, 2024, the morning after Diwali, Delhi’s air pollution was recorded at 14 times the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization. That figure does not prove crackers were the only cause, but it shows the danger of a sharp festive increase.

The court therefore combined limited permission with safeguards. Only certified green crackers were allowed, and authorities had to monitor pre-Diwali and post-Diwali air. The results could guide enforcement and future restrictions when pollution is already severe.

No-cracker zones are protected areas where fireworks cannot be burst. The Supreme Court set them up around hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes and notified silence zones. The restriction also extended to educational institutions.

The reason is practical. These places serve people who may be especially affected by smoke, noise or disturbance, including patients and older residents. The article does not give a separate medical explanation, but it makes clear that the court wanted these locations protected during Diwali. Firecrackers could not be used within 300 metres of them.

The court required these zones to be marked on the ground and publicised. That makes the rule easier for residents to identify and for authorities to enforce. It also turns the restriction into a visible boundary rather than an instruction known only through legal orders or news reports.

Delhi’s air quality usually deteriorates in colder months because weather conditions make pollution harder to clear. The article points to falling temperatures and decreased wind speeds. Cold, slow-moving air can keep pollutants near the ground instead of dispersing them quickly.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana adds smoke to the regional air. Industries and coal-fired plants add further emissions. When these sources operate alongside local pollution, weaker winter winds can allow pollutants to accumulate over Delhi and the wider region. The article identifies this combination as a major reason the capital experiences severe seasonal pollution.

This background makes Diwali restrictions important but also shows their limits. Reducing firecracker emissions addresses one temporary source, not the full pollution problem. The court therefore asked pollution-control boards to track air quality from November 2 through November 30, covering conditions before, during and after the festival.

Air-quality authorities use monitoring stations to measure pollutants in the air. They convert those readings into an Air Quality Index, or AQI, which gives the public a simple number and category. Higher readings indicate greater pollution and greater potential concern. The article identifies 307 as “very poor.”

The Sameer application provided hourly updates published by the Central Pollution Control Board. At 7.05 am, it showed Delhi’s average AQI at 307. Pollution-control boards were also asked to prepare daily reports for three periods: November 2 to 6, November 7 and 8, and November 9 to 30.

The article does not list the pollutants, station network or exact formula used. In general, AQI systems combine pollutant concentrations using established health-based breakpoints. Authorities compare the resulting number with category ranges, then use the category to communicate whether conditions are good, poor or dangerous.