The Supreme Court on Wednesday (15 October 2025) relaxed the blanket ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR, allowing residents to burst green crackers for four hours on Diwali – two sessions between 6 AM and 7 AM, and 8 PM and 10 PM. The apex court said that the decision was made to strike a balance between festive celebration and environmental concerns.
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, while reading out the order, observed that firecrackers are often smuggled into Delhi-NCR, causing more damage than approved green crackers. “We have to take a balanced approach, permitting it in moderation while not compromising with the environment,” he said.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and K Vinod Chandran clarified that only certified green crackers with QR codes can be manufactured, sold, and used in Delhi-NCR. The sale period has been fixed between October 18 and 20, and the bursting of crackers will be permitted from October 18 to 21.
Police officers, in consultation with the district administration, will form patrol teams that include members of the State Pollution Control Board to monitor designated points of sale. These teams will ensure that only QR-coded green crackers are sold, and that no firecrackers from outside Delhi-NCR are brought into the region.
In the event of violations, licences and registrations of the offenders will be revoked, and strict punitive action will follow. Firecrackers containing barium or any other banned substances will not be permitted. The sale and purchase of crackers via e-commerce platforms have also been prohibited.
The Central and State Pollution Control Boards have been directed to monitor air quality from October 14 to 25 and submit detailed reports to the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled three weeks later.
The order comes days after the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions filed by the Centre and the Delhi government seeking permission to manufacture and sell green firecrackers during the festive season. The Centre had proposed similar limited relaxation windows for Diwali, Christmas, and Guru Purab.
Earlier, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had imposed a year-round ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of all firecrackers, including green ones.
Dravidian Model TN
In stark contrast, the Tamil Nadu government has maintained its long-standing restriction, allowing firecrackers to be burst for only two hours on Diwali day from 6 AM to 7 AM and from 7 PM to 8 PM.
A government notification stated, “Diwali is a festival celebrated with joy by the people. On this festival, everyone from children to adults burst firecrackers to express their joy. At the same time, the bursting of firecrackers pollutes the land, water, and air around us to a great extent.”
The order added that excessive noise and air pollution cause physical and mental distress to children, the elderly, and the sick.
Citing the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, which mandated that only environmentally friendly “green crackers” be manufactured and sold, the Tamil Nadu government said it has been following the same time restrictions every year since 2018.
“This year too, on the day of Diwali, like last year, firecrackers should be burst only between 6 AM and 7 AM and between 7 PM and 8 PM,” the statement said.
While Delhi-NCR residents have been granted a four-hour window by the Supreme Court to celebrate Diwali, Tamil Nadu’s “Dravidian Model” administration has chosen to stick to its more restrictive two-hour schedule, drawing criticism from those who see it as selective enforcement that dampens Hindu festivities in the state.
(Source: India Today)
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