Delhi’s firecracker ban has taken full effect after the permitted window for bursting crackers ended, with the Delhi Police warning of legal action against anyone violating the restriction. The announcement comes as the capital’s air quality deteriorated to the ‘very poor’ category and attributed IITM data showed a high contribution from firecracker emissions on two days around Diwali.
The Delhi Police said on X that permission to burst firecrackers in the National Capital had ended. According to the police, firecrackers were permitted only during specified hours on November 7 and 8. Bursting crackers after that period is prohibited, and violators will face strict legal action, the police said.
The force also appealed to residents to respect the restriction, describing compliance as a sign of responsible citizenship. The announcement places enforcement responsibility on the police after the time-bound permission period ended.
Data cited from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology showed that firecrackers accounted for 71.1% of Delhi’s pollution on Monday and 29.8% on Tuesday. The report did not provide a broader breakdown of the full pollution mix for both days, but it said the contribution from firecrackers was the highest during those two periods.
On Monday, vehicle emissions accounted for 6.9% of Delhi’s pollution, according to the same IITM data cited in the report. The figures come amid a wider deterioration in winter air quality across Delhi and the National Capital Region.
An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment said the pollution situation in Delhi-NCR had worsened at the beginning of this winter. The average PM2.5 concentration during the week before Diwali was recorded at 236 micrograms per cubic metre, which was 32% higher than the 179 micrograms per cubic metre recorded during the corresponding period in 2024. The analysis described the latest pre-Diwali PM2.5 average as the highest in three years.
Delhi’s 24-hour average Air Quality Index was recorded at 303 on Wednesday morning, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category, the report said. On Tuesday, the 24-hour average AQI had improved to 299, which falls in the ‘poor’ category under the cited classification. The movement underscores the continuing volatility of the capital’s air quality during the winter pollution season.
The Central Pollution Control Board also identified stubble burning in neighbouring states as one of the contributors to Delhi’s pollution. The police restriction therefore forms one part of a wider pollution-control response involving local emissions, regional sources and seasonal weather conditions.
With the permitted firecracker period over, the Delhi Police’s stated next step is enforcement against people who burst crackers in violation of the ban. The force has urged residents to comply with the restriction as the capital continues to record poor winter air quality.
