The Supreme Court on Friday indicated it may lift restrictions on bursting green firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) for Diwali. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order, stating it will decide on relaxing the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.
“For the time being, we will permit the ban lifting during Diwali,” the bench remarked.
Solicitor General suggests balanced approach
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing Delhi-NCR and Haryana, requested the court to allow green firecrackers to be burst between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali, between 11:45 pm and 12:30 am on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and for one hour on Gurpurab.
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He recommended a “balanced approach” and assured the court that PESO and NEERI would inspect manufacturers to ensure only approved green firecracker formulations are sold in the market.
He also noted that joint crackers are not manufactured, sold, or used in the NCR. Sales will be through licensed traders only, and manufacturers must provide detailed information on quantities and specifications. Mehta further suggested that e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart should not facilitate online sales of green crackers.
Court probes air quality impact
Amicus Curiae senior advocate Aparajita Singh raised concerns over “fake green crackers” sold under false labels containing polluting chemicals. The court also asked whether there had been any improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI) from 2018 to 2024. Mehta replied that AQI remained largely unchanged, except during the COVID-19 lockdown when pollution levels temporarily improved.
Earlier, on September 26, the Supreme Court allowed the manufacturing of green firecrackers in Delhi, but restricted their sale in the NCR. The matter continues to be heard in the context of tackling air pollution in the region.
