Pune police have barred residents from bursting firecrackers on public roads, footpaths and within 10 metres of roads during Diwali, warning that violations will lead to criminal cases under applicable laws.
The guidelines also regulate temporary firecracker sales, storage and use across the city. Temporary licences for firecracker stalls will be issued for the period from November 6 to December 5, 2026. Sellers will not be permitted to continue sales after their licences expire, and any unsold stock must be returned to an authorised warehouse or a licensed wholesaler.
Firecrackers cannot be burst within 50 metres of a temporary firecracker stall. The police have also prohibited the sale of foreign-made firecrackers. The restrictions are intended to regulate both the movement of people and the handling of explosive material in crowded urban areas during the festival period.
Under the guidelines referred to by the police, the manufacture, sale and use of firecrackers producing more than 125 decibels at a distance of four metres from the point of bursting are prohibited. The rules also ban chain bombs containing more than 100 firecrackers and impose legal restrictions on certain types of firecrackers described as ‘atom bombs’.
Noise-producing firecrackers will not be permitted between 10 pm and 6 am under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules. The police have said that only silent fireworks that emit light and colour, along with permitted green firecrackers, may be used during the restricted hours.
Hospitals, educational institutions and courts, along with the areas within 100 metres of them, have been classified as silence zones. Bursting firecrackers is prohibited in these areas. The restriction is significant for a city where residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, schools and commercial streets often operate in close proximity.
Violations may lead to cases being registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Environment Protection Act, according to the police guidelines. The provisions cover both public use of firecrackers and regulated activities connected with their sale and storage.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Sanjay Patil has appealed to residents to report violations immediately by calling Dial 112. The police administration’s directions will remain applicable through the temporary licensing period and the festival-related enforcement window.
