Deepavali 2026: All you need to know about Supreme Court-permitted time slots, green crackers and other directives

The Supreme Court permitted only certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Deepavali 2026. This limited permission balances religious and social traditions with concerns about air pollution and public health. Conventional and unauthorised crackers are not covered by the permission.

On November 7 and November 8, green firecrackers may be burst during two daily windows. The first is 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. The second is 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Only products certified by CSIR-NEERI and PESO qualify. Product-specific QR codes must verify certification.

The order also bans fireworks within 300 metres of specified institutions and silence zones. Manufacturers and traders face additional controls, including sealed packaging, monetary security deposits and a ban on series-connected fireworks, known as ladis and garlands. The restrictions respond to repeated pollution spikes during festivals and earlier failures to enforce firecracker rules.

Green firecrackers are fireworks designed to cause less air pollution than conventional firecrackers in the same category. Their purpose is to reduce the environmental and health damage associated with Deepavali celebrations while allowing a limited form of fireworks use.

CSIR-NEERI developed three types: SWAS releases water vapour to suppress some particulate matter, STAR uses a thermite-based composition for more efficient combustion, and SAFAL contains less aluminium. Manufacturers also modify fuel and oxidiser proportions, add dust-suppressing ingredients and reduce certain metals.

The reduction is not an unlimited permission to use fireworks. Only certified products may be sold or burst under the Supreme Court’s 2026 order. Packaging must carry the CSIR-NEERI logo and a product-specific QR code. The court still restricted hours, locations and product types because green crackers produce lower emissions, not zero emissions.

The article gives two approved emission-reduction targets for green firecrackers. They are designed either to emit 30% less particulate matter or to emit 20% less particulate matter alongside 10% fewer gaseous emissions than conventional fireworks in the same category.

These reductions come from design changes rather than simply smaller fireworks. Manufacturers modify the proportions of fuels and oxidisers to improve combustion efficiency. They also add ingredients that suppress dust and reduce the amounts of certain metals. SWAS, STAR and SAFAL use different approaches to lower emissions.

The figures describe intended reductions for certified products, not complete elimination of pollution. That is why the Supreme Court also limited when and where the crackers could be used. Certification by CSIR-NEERI and PESO, packaging controls and QR codes are intended to distinguish authorised green crackers from conventional or unauthorised products.

The Supreme Court created no-cracker zones to protect people who may be especially affected by noise and air pollution. Fireworks cannot be burst within a 300-metre radius of listed locations in Delhi-NCR during the permitted Deepavali period.

The protected places include hospitals, nursing homes, primary health centres, district health centres and old age homes. Educational institutions are also covered. The restriction applies to any notified silence zones. These areas must be marked on the ground and published so residents and traders can identify them.

The buffer adds a location-based safeguard to the court’s time limits and certification rules. Even a certified green firecracker cannot be used inside these zones. The order reflects the court’s concern that celebrations should not degrade the environment or create a health hazard for living beings, patients, older people and others near protected sites.

Green firecrackers are designed to reduce pollution, not eliminate it. Burning them still involves combustion and produces some particulate matter and gaseous emissions. The article therefore presents green crackers as a limited compromise, rather than a pollution-free form of celebration.

The Supreme Court linked fireworks to sharp rises in AQI and pollution levels, especially through particulate matter emissions. It warned that allowing the environment to degrade creates a health hazard for all living beings. The court also said that such degradation defeats the purpose of Deepavali celebrations.

The article does not quantify the remaining health risk from green crackers. It does show that lower emissions do not remove the need for controls. Delhi-NCR therefore has restricted hours, 300-metre no-cracker zones, certified products, QR verification and a ban on ladis and garlands. Enforcement remains important because earlier restrictions were widely violated.

The court repeatedly restricted firecrackers because unregulated Deepavali use historically caused sharp increases in AQI and pollution. Fireworks emit particulate matter, and the court said the state had failed to comply with orders issued since 2015. The concern was both environmental and public-health related.

A complete ban did not solve the problem. The court observed that the ban facilitated illegal sales of firecrackers. It also prevented people from buying authorised green crackers. Pollution still rose during the festival period, and a significant AQI spike was noticed on Dasara and the following day.

The 2026 approach allows only certified green products under strict conditions. It sets specific hours, creates no-cracker zones and requires certification, QR codes and sealed packaging. The court had also suggested using celebrities, including cricketer Virat Kohli, to spread awareness. The continuing challenge is effective enforcement and public compliance.

Particulate matter, or PM, consists of tiny solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air. AQI, or Air Quality Index, is a scale used to communicate how polluted the air is. The article connects both measures with the effects of unregulated fireworks during Deepavali.

When fireworks burn, their fuel and oxidisers undergo combustion. This releases particulate matter and gaseous emissions into the surrounding air. The article notes that green crackers use modified ingredients, dust-suppressing additives and reduced metals to lower those emissions. SWAS also releases water vapour to suppress some generated particles.

Because fireworks can release large amounts of pollutants over a short period, local pollution levels and AQI can rise sharply. The Supreme Court observed this historical pattern and noted a significant AQI spike on Dasara and the following day. The article does not provide a specific AQI value, but uses the rise to justify tighter controls.