Supreme Court May Allow Firecrackers in Delhi-NCR This Diwali

People in Delhi-NCR might be able to burst firecrackers again this Diwali. The Supreme Court is thinking about allowing green firecrackers for a few days during the festival.

A team led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said they will soon give their final decision. For now, they are thinking about allowing green firecrackers for five days on a trial basis, with fixed hours.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked the court to lift the ban and let people use green firecrackers. He said people should be allowed to burst them from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali, from 11:45 pm to 12:30 am on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and for one hour on Gurpurab.

He also said that PESO and NEERI will check the factories to make sure only green firecrackers are made and sold. These crackers should be made using approved materials that cause less pollution.

Mehta added that joint crackers should not be made or sold in Delhi-NCR. He said only licensed sellers should be allowed to sell firecrackers, and only from approved makers.

He also asked that online shopping sites like Amazon and Flipkart should not take any orders for crackers.

Senior lawyer Aparajita Singh, who is helping the court with this case, warned that fake green crackers are being sold under wrong labels and may still have harmful chemicals.

The court also asked if the air quality in Delhi had gotten better between 2018 and 2024. Mehta said it has stayed almost the same, except during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the air was cleaner.

Earlier, on September 26, the Supreme Court had allowed green firecrackers to be made in Delhi, but they were not allowed to be sold in the NCR area.

The final decision is still waiting, but many people are hoping this year’s Diwali will have firecrackers again.