The Supreme Court has allowed the sale and use of approved green crackers in Delhi-NCR for two days during Diwali, with sales permitted from November 4 to 6 and fireworks restricted to three hours each on November 7 and 8. The court’s directions also impose limits on where crackers can be sold and used, while requiring police and district administrations to enforce the rules.
According to the reported directions, fireworks may be used from 6 am to 7 am and from 8 pm to 10 pm on November 7 and 8. The permission covers only green crackers and does not extend to traditional fireworks, firecrackers containing barium or cracker garlands.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale said green crackers could be sold only between November 4 and 6. Sellers and manufacturers must have valid certification, and only products approved as green crackers by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, or CSIR-NEERI, may be marketed.
The court has directed that sales take place only at locations identified by the administration. Online platforms will not be allowed to sell the products. District administrations and police authorities will identify the permitted sales points and monitor them through patrol teams.
Green cracker packages must be completely sealed, according to the reported directions. The requirement is intended to prevent the mixing of unauthorised or conventional fireworks with certified products. Authorities have been told to seize illegal or traditional crackers immediately and initiate legal action against manufacturers and traders who violate the directions.
The restrictions also create designated firecracker-free zones around sensitive institutions. Hospitals, nursing homes, old-age homes, schools and notified silent zones will have a 300-metre buffer in which fireworks will not be permitted. The rule places responsibility on local administrations and police to identify and enforce these areas across the National Capital Region.
The limited permission ends after November 8. The earlier complete ban on firecrackers will come back into force from November 9, according to the reported order. This makes the timing of both retail sales and public use significant for enforcement agencies, since sales are permitted for three days but use is restricted to specific hours on only two days.
The court also asked the NCR states to submit details of any increase in hospital admissions following the festival. The states have been directed to file affidavits by December 14, creating a formal reporting requirement around the health effects associated with the permitted fireworks window.
The reported directions also note that there is not enough evidence to establish that a complete firecracker ban has consistently achieved its intended pollution-control outcome. The court observed that Delhi-NCR’s air quality did not show a significant improvement during the complete ban in 2024, and that the Centre and state governments had not provided sufficient data demonstrating that the ban had succeeded in reducing pollution.
For residents, the directions create a tightly defined framework: only certified green crackers may be sold, use is limited to six hours across two days, and several urban institutions and notified areas remain protected from fireworks. Police and district administrations are responsible for identifying sale points, monitoring compliance and acting against violations before the complete ban resumes on November 9.
