Supreme Court Calls for More Data on Firecracker Ban Effectiveness After Limited AQI Improvement
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
The Supreme Court noted the lack of conclusive data on whether a blanket firecracker ban reduces pollution and allowed a limited, regulated use of green crackers for two days in November 2026 while ordering states to submit detailed AQI and health reports.
The Supreme Court said a blanket ban on firecrackers may appear ideal, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm it effectively reduces environmental pollution. The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale observed that Air Quality Index (AQI) readings showed no significant improvement after the complete ban imposed in Delhi-NCR in 2024, and that the state and central authorities had not provided adequate data to assess the ban’s impact.
"Though imposition of a blanket ban seems to be the ideal solution, we are of the opinion that this Court, at this point in time, is short of adequate data to decide whether or not a complete ban would be the best solution to solve the problem of environmental pollution, caused by bursting firecrackers," the Court said.
The Court recalled that a temporary relaxation granted on October 15, 2025, to allow green crackers for two days during Diwali was not followed up with the required environmental and health data, describing the states’ compliance as a failure. It also noted a spike in AQI levels on Dussehra despite the prohibition and warned that conventional firecrackers continue to be sold as green crackers, undermining the ban.
Highlighting the health risks, the Court said particulate matter from firecrackers remains airborne for days, can enter the bloodstream, and disproportionately affects children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. It linked the right to a healthy environment under Article 21 with the qualified right to religious practice under Article 25, stating that environmental degradation defeats the purpose of the Diwali celebrations.
"The fact remains that bursting firecrackers would certainly cause pollution. We find that the measures undertaken either by the authorities based on the orders of this Court or by their own, have not yielded the desired result. Therefore, it can be seen that the problem lies in the implementation," the Court observed.
Given the data gaps and enforcement challenges, the Court ordered a temporary, tightly regulated allowance for green crackers on November 7 and 8, 2026, limited to specific morning and evening hours, with a full ban resuming on November 9. States have been directed to submit AQI reports and hospital admission data after Diwali, and the matter will be revisited on December 16, 2026.