SC Lifts Blanket Ban, Allows Five-Day Firecracker Window In Delhi-NCR For Diwali
A Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order on the issue, stating that it would decide on easing the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.
The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it may lift restrictions on the bursting of green firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR) during Diwali.
Bench Reserves Order On Relaxing Ban
A Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reserved its order on the issue, stating that it would decide on easing the absolute ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR.
“For the time being, we will permit the ban lifting during Diwali,” the Bench remarked during the hearing, ANI reported.
Solicitor General Seeks Limited Permission
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi-NCR and Haryana, urged the court to lift the restrictions and allow the bursting of green firecrackers between 8 PM and 10 PM on Diwali.
He further requested permission for crackers between 11.45 PM and 12.30 AM on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and for one hour on Gurpurab.
Mehta suggested that the court consider a balanced approach in the matter.
Monitoring And Regulation Proposed
The Solicitor General informed the court that the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) would periodically inspect the manufacture of crackers to ensure that only approved green formulations were sold.
He said only green crackers certified by NEERI would be permitted.
Joint crackers, he added, were not being manufactured, sold or used in the NCR. Sales would be restricted to licensed traders and authorised manufacturers only, with packaging clearly mentioning the quantity and details of green crackers.
Restrictions On Online Sales
Mehta also proposed that e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart should not accept or facilitate any online sale of green crackers.
Concerns Over ‘Fake’ Green Crackers
Amicus Curiae and senior advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the Bench, expressed concern over the sale of “fake green crackers” under false labels, which continued to contain polluting chemicals.
Air Quality Inquiry
During the hearing, the Bench inquired whether there had been any improvement in the Air Quality Index (AQI) from 2018 to 2024.
Mehta responded that the AQI had largely remained the same, except during the COVID-19 lockdown period, when the air quality had shown temporary improvement.
Earlier Order
On 26 September, the apex court had allowed the manufacturing of green firecrackers in Delhi, subject to the condition that they would not be sold in the NCR.
The court is hearing the matter as part of ongoing proceedings related to air pollution in the National Capital Region.
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