Supreme Court allows limited sale and use of green crackers in Delhi-NCR

On 15 October 2025, India's Supreme Court relaxed the long-running ban on firecrackers in Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR), allowing only "green" crackers around the Diwali festival. Green crackers are designed to emit less particulate matter than conventional ones, though they are not pollution-free.

The court set tight conditions. Only crackers certified by official testing bodies and carrying QR codes could be sold, sales were limited to a few days before Diwali, and bursting was allowed only in short morning and evening windows on the festival days. Crackers brought in from outside the NCR were barred. Police and the pollution control authorities were told to enforce the rules.

The ruling followed appeals from the fireworks industry and traders, who argued that a blanket ban hurt livelihoods, and from those who stressed that Delhi's air is among the most polluted in the world every winter. Health experts and environmentalists warned that even limited use could worsen the smog. The decision became a key reference point when air quality fell sharply after Diwali.