Supreme Court Allows Green Crackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8

The Supreme Court has permitted the limited sale and use of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR ahead of Diwali. Approved products may be sold from November 4 to 6 at designated locations, while bursting is allowed only from 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm on November 7 and 8. The complete ban on firecrackers is to return from November 9, 2026.

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The directions were contained in an order dated October 29 that was made available on November 2. The bench comprised Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale. Reports by PTI, ANI and IANS describe the temporary relaxation and the accompanying controls on products, sales, enforcement and pollution monitoring. The signed order itself was not retrievable through the Supreme Court’s public search during this update, so the detailed provisions below are attributed to those reports.

When green crackers can be sold and used

The reported directions distinguish between manufacture, sale and use. Manufacturers holding valid certification from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) and the required licence from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) may manufacture only approved products listed by CSIR-NEERI from November 2 to 6.

Sales are permitted from November 4 to 6, but only through licensed traders at locations designated by district administrations in consultation with the police. Online sales are prohibited. The permission to burst crackers is narrower: it applies only on November 7 and 8, between 6 am and 7 am and between 8 pm and 10 pm on each day. The complete ban is scheduled to resume on November 9.

Also read: Delhi AQI Enters Very Poor Category as Morning Reading Reaches 310

Product checks and no-cracker zones

Only green crackers approved by CSIR-NEERI and covered by the required PESO permissions may be manufactured and sold. Each sealed box must carry a product- and batch-specific QR code containing details such as the manufacturer, NEERI registration, licence, formulation and test certificate. The reported directions make the codes non-transferable and provide for cancellation of a manufacturer’s registration or licence if QR codes are sold or misused.

Firecrackers containing barium, products not approved as green crackers and firecrackers joined in series, commonly called ‘ladis’ or garlands, remain prohibited. The court has also barred bursting within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones. These locations are to be identified and publicised as No-Cracker Zones.

The directions also provide for monetary security to be imposed on manufacturers and traders, with the amount liable to forfeiture if the court’s conditions or applicable rules are breached. Police and district teams are to inspect designated markets, check QR codes, seize unauthorised products and initiate prosecutions where violations are found. Authorities have also been asked to check vehicles entering Delhi-NCR to prevent the movement of conventional and illegal crackers.

Also read: Delhi’s Winter Pollution Curbs Take Effect on November 1

Air-quality monitoring and follow-up

The Central Pollution Control Board, working with State Pollution Control Boards, has been directed to prepare daily air-quality reports for three periods: November 2 to 6 before Diwali, November 7 and 8 during the festival, and November 9 to 30 after it. The reported directions also call for comparative sand and water sampling, inspection and repair of air-quality monitoring stations reported to be non-functional, and post-festival cleaning and solid-waste disposal in heavily polluted areas.

State authorities, including the Delhi government, have been asked to publicise the Winter Action Plan 2026, Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2026 and the Commission for Air Quality Management’s annual action plan. Education departments across the NCR are to sensitise schoolchildren about pollution, while the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has been asked to carry awareness messages through its audio systems.

Authorities must submit affidavits detailing designated sale locations, security deposits, inspections, enforcement and prosecutions. Reports on air quality and hospital admissions are also required for the post-Diwali period. The compliance affidavits and reports are due by December 14, and the matter has been listed for further consideration on December 16, 2026. The bench has warned that officials could face contempt action for failing to implement the directions.

What the order means for residents

The temporary relaxation is not permission to use conventional fireworks or to burst approved products at any time or place. Residents in Delhi-NCR should check the designated sale locations and product QR codes, observe the two permitted time windows and stay clear of marked No-Cracker Zones. Green crackers are subject to standards and controls; the limited permission does not mean they are pollution-free.

The order also places responsibility on public authorities to demonstrate that the restrictions are enforced and that air quality and related health indicators are monitored before and after the festival. The court’s follow-up hearing in December will provide an opportunity to review the compliance reports.

Sources: Supreme Court of India, order dated 29 October 2026 in the proceedings on air pollution and firecrackers in Delhi-NCR (the signed order was not retrievable through the Court’s public search during this update); PTI, carried by ThePrint, 2 November 2026, 3:47 pm IST; ANI inputs, carried by The News Mill, 2 November 2026, 4:52 pm IST; IANS, carried by Timesnet, 2 November 2026; NDTV, 2 November 2026; The Economic Times, 2 November 2026.

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