The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8, between 6 am and 7 am and between 8 pm and 10 pm, with a blanket ban on all firecrackers automatically resuming on November 9, ANI reported via The Daily Jagran. The order delivers the decision the same Bench — Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale — had reserved on October 29, when it heard the firecracker matter and suggested using prominent personalities for public awareness.
Source: ANI via The Daily Jagran
Only CSIR-NEERI-approved green crackers may be manufactured, sold and burst during the window. Manufacturers must hold valid certification from CSIR-NEERI and licences from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), and may manufacture only the green crackers listed on the CSIR-NEERI website between November 2 and 6, LiveLaw reported. Firecrackers containing barium, and joined series crackers known as 'ladis' or garlands, are prohibited.
Source: LiveLaw
Each box must be completely sealed and carry a product-specific QR code disclosing the manufacturer, NEERI registration, PESO or district magistrate licence, formulation and test certificate, LiveLaw reported. The licences of traders whose licences had been cancelled have been temporarily restored from November 4 to 6 so they can sell approved green crackers, and will be cancelled immediately if they violate the court's directions. All manufacturers and traders in Delhi-NCR must furnish monetary security in a substantial amount, which will stand forfeited on any violation.
No-cracker zones, designated sale points, no online sales
No firecrackers may be burst within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones; these areas will be declared 'No-Cracker Zones', marked on the ground and publicised, Nation Press reported.
Source: Nation Press
District Collectors and Commissioners in Delhi-NCR, in consultation with district police chiefs, will designate the locations where green crackers can be sold; sale anywhere else, including on online platforms, is prohibited. Police patrolling teams will inspect designated locations, verify QR codes and confiscate illegal or conventional firecrackers, and vehicles entering Delhi-NCR will be checked to stop conventional crackers being brought in, according to LiveLaw.
Air-quality monitoring until November 30, compliance by December 14
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with State Pollution Control Boards, will monitor air quality and prepare daily reports for three periods — November 2 to 6, November 7 and 8, and November 9 to 30 — and collect sand and water samples for comparative analysis, LiveLaw reported. State authorities, including the Delhi Government, must publish the Winter Action Plan 2026, the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2026 and the CAQM Annual Action Plan, and the Delhi Metro will broadcast awareness messages on its audio systems.
Authorities in Delhi-NCR must file affidavits by December 14 detailing the security imposed on manufacturers and traders, designated sale locations, enforcement measures, patrolling and prosecutions, along with reports on any increase in hospital admissions until November 30. The court warned that contempt action will be taken against officials who fail to comply, and listed the matter for further compliance on December 16, according to LiveLaw.
The court also made a plea for a voluntary public-awareness campaign by members of the Bar, celebrities and sportspersons to encourage people to celebrate the festivals "in a safe, responsible, and environmentally conscious manner, without causing harm to public health, or aggravating the already precarious air quality," LiveLaw reported. Diwali falls on November 8 this year.