Delhi-NCR gets two days of green crackers as Supreme Court caps bursting at three hours a day and sets 300-metre no-cracker zones

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the bursting of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8, subject to strict time limits and safeguards, while directing that the complete ban on firecrackers be reinstated from November 9.

A division bench comprising justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale allowed firecrackers to be burst only between 6 am-7 am and 8 pm-10 pm on both days. The SC also directed that no fireworks be burst within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones. These areas are to be declared 'No-Cracker Zones', marked and publicised.

The relaxation is limited to green crackers certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI). Manufacturers holding valid CSIR-NEERI certification and licences from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation may manufacture only those green crackers uploaded on the CSIR-NEERI website between November 2 and 6.