The Supreme Court on November 2, 2026 described bursting of firecrackers during Deepavali as a “religious practice” while permitting the use of green firecrackers for two days, on November 7 and November 8, in Delhi-NCR.
In fact, the situation had not improved even after the reimposition of a complete ban on firecrackers. A significant spike in AQI levels was noticed on Dasara and the following day. The court had then made it clear that the use of green crackers would be restricted to specified hours on the festival day and its eve. The same restriction would apply to educational institutions. The cracker boxes would be sealed and kept separate from unauthorised or conventional firecrackers.
In October 2025, the apex court had permitted the sale and bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR during Deepavali, subject to conditions aimed at balancing tradition with environmental and health concerns. The court permitted the bursting of certified green firecrackers between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 7, 2026 and the day after in the Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR). “There shall not be any bursting of fireworks within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old age homes and any notified silence zones. These areas will be declared as ‘no-cracker zones’, and shall be marked on the ground and published,” the court said in its 23-page order. In a series of directions, the court ordered that only manufacturers certified by CSIR-NEERI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation) would be permitted to manufacture green crackers between November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026.
“The right of an individual to engage in a particular practice, which may have a religious colour, is only a qualified one and cannot go beyond the Constitutional restrictions,” the Supreme Court held. The state had “utterly failed” to comply with the Supreme Court’s orders issued since 2015 to impose restrictions on fireworks, the Bench said. The “complete ban” had not only facilitated the illegal sale of firecrackers but had also prevented people from purchasing authorised green crackers, the court said.
The unregulated use of firecrackers during Deepavali has historically led to a sharp rise in the Air Quality Index (AQI) and pollution levels, including the emission of particulate matter, the court observed. The court had earlier suggested that the government enlist celebrities such as cricketer Virat Kohli to spread awareness about the harmful effects of firecrackers.
