Supreme Court Grants Temporary Green Firecracker Permission in Delhi-NCR Ahead of Diwali

The Supreme Court has issued a temporary order permitting the manufacture, sale and bursting of approved green firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region for the Diwali period. The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale allowed bursting between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on November 7 and between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on November 8, after which the complete ban will be reinstated on November 9.

Traders whose licences were previously cancelled will have them restored from November 4 to 6 to enable the sale of certified green crackers. The Court stressed that only CSIR-NEERI-approved products may be sold, and that conventional firecrackers must not be marketed as green.

"The endeavour is to bring about a holistic change for which public perception has to change. One must embrace the Precautionary Principle by being proactive to prevent issues, instead of merely reacting after they have occurred," the Court said, urging public-awareness campaigns by bar members, celebrities and sportspersons.

The order bans bursting within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, silence zones and educational institutions, designating these as ‘No-Cracker Zones’. Manufacturers must hold valid CSIR-NEERI certification and PESO licences, and only produce crackers listed on the CSIR-NEERI website between November 2 and 6. Each sealed box must display a non-transferable QR code that reveals product details; violations could lead to licence cancellation.

Sale is limited to designated locations identified by district authorities in coordination with police; online sales are prohibited. Police patrol teams will inspect these sites, verify QR codes and confiscate illegal or conventional firecrackers. Traders must display the Court’s directions and informational banners about approved green crackers at their premises.