Crackers for Diwali: Supreme Court allows green crackers in Delhi-NCR on Nov 7-8

Crackers will be back in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) for Diwali this year, but only green ones and only for a few hours. On Monday, November 2, 2026, the Supreme Court allowed certified green crackers to be burst on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, the day of Diwali, in two windows each day: 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale ruled that the complete ban on firecrackers in the region will return from Monday, November 9. Licensed traders may sell approved green crackers from November 4 to 6, at places chosen by district authorities.

For millions of families in and around the capital, the order answers the question they ask every October: can we burst crackers this Diwali? The answer is a narrow yes. Lighting lamps, praying to Lakshmi and sharing sweets remain the heart of Deepavali, the festival of lights, and nothing in the order touches them. What it regulates is the noise and smoke that have become part of how many households celebrate, at the time of year when the capital's air is often at its worst.

The bench chose regulation over a blanket ban for a short period. According to reports of the order, the judges noted that the complete prohibition had been feeding illegal sales while stopping people from buying legitimate, tested green crackers. A controlled window with traceable products, the court reasoned, could be easier to police than a ban that many ignored.

The order also leans heavily on enforcement. QR codes on each box, approved product lists and checks at the borders of the region are meant to stop conventional crackers being sold under a green label, a problem the court specifically warned about.

The ruling follows a long legal history. Since 2018, the Supreme Court has allowed only green crackers in principle, and Delhi-NCR has lived with a year-round ban in recent years. In 2025 the court relaxed that ban for Diwali on a trial basis, allowing sale and use of green crackers from October 18 to 21, 2025.

Peepals calculation: The order allows three hours of bursting a day (one hour in the morning and two at night) on two days, or six hours in all. That is one-eighth of the 48 hours of November 7 and 8 (6 ÷ 48 = 0.125, or 12.5%). Sales run for three days, November 4 to 6, and end the day before the first permitted hour. Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Families in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and other NCR towns can buy only certified green crackers from designated outlets between November 4 and 6, and can light them only in the two daily windows on November 7 and 8.

Long-term: Every Diwali the court is asked to balance the festival's customs against public health in a region with some of the worst winter air in the world. A second year of regulated relaxation may shape how the court approaches the question in future years.

Who is affected: Households celebrating Diwali in Delhi-NCR; licensed traders and certified green cracker manufacturers; patients, elderly people and others near hospitals, nursing homes and old-age homes, which are protected by the 300-metre rule; and the police and district officials who must enforce it.

What to watch next: The complete ban returns on November 9, 2026, the day after Diwali, and Delhi's air quality in the days after the festival will show how the relaxation worked.

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