SC upholds firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld its ban on the use, manufacture, sale, and storage of firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region.

A division bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan reaffirmed that restricting the firecracker ban to just a few days around Diwali would be ineffective, as people could purchase and store them in advance. The court cited Delhi's severe pollution over the past six months as the basis for its decision.

Given the critical air quality situation, the Bench ruled out any exemptions, including for green crackers, and upheld the ban on online sales. The judges emphasised that prolonged pollution endangers public health, particularly for those who cannot afford air purifiers or who work outdoors.


Regarding green crackers, the court noted that, according to the Central Government's report, they emit only 30% less pollution than conventional crackers. The Bench stated that unless proven to cause minimal pollution, green crackers would not be granted an exception.

The top court also directed all NCR states to create a machinery for effectively implementing the firecracker ban.