The Supreme Court of India, in an order dated 13 October 2025, temporarily permitted the sale of green crackers from 18 to 20 October for Diwali celebrations in the Delhi-NCR region. A Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran restricted the usage of green crackers to specific time windows while maintaining a complete ban on all non-green crackers.
Background
The order was passed in the long-running M.C. Mehta v. Union of India environmental litigation, which has for several years addressed air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. In previous years, the Supreme Court has imposed varying degrees of restrictions on firecracker sales and usage ahead of the Diwali festival, responding to the acute air quality deterioration that the region experiences during the October-November period.
Green crackers are firecrackers certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research as producing reduced emissions. They contain lower quantities of harmful chemicals and are designed to generate less particulate matter than conventional firecrackers. The Court has progressively moved toward permitting only these certified variants while maintaining a blanket prohibition on conventional firecrackers in the national capital region.
Key Holdings
The Court directed as follows:
Limited sale window: Sale of green crackers was permitted for a three-day window from 18 to 20 October 2025, coinciding with the Diwali festival period. No sale of any firecrackers was permitted outside this window.
Restricted usage hours: The usage of green crackers was confined to two specific time slots — 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Bursting of crackers outside these hours was prohibited.
Complete ban on non-green crackers: The Court maintained the existing prohibition on the manufacture, sale, and use of non-green firecrackers in the Delhi-NCR region. Only CSIR-certified green crackers bearing the appropriate markings were permitted.
Enforcement obligations: The Delhi Police and local authorities were directed to ensure strict enforcement of the time restrictions and the ban on non-green crackers.
Implications for Practitioners
This order continues the Supreme Court's established approach of balancing cultural and religious expression with environmental protection. For environmental law practitioners, the decision reaffirms the Court's supervisory jurisdiction over Delhi-NCR air quality under the M.C. Mehta framework and its willingness to impose granular, time-bound restrictions on economic activity to manage pollution.
Manufacturers and distributors of firecrackers must note the narrow sale window and ensure compliance with CSIR certification requirements. Non-compliance exposes vendors to criminal prosecution under both the Court's order and applicable environmental regulations.
For municipal authorities and law enforcement agencies, the order creates specific enforcement obligations. The two-hour evening window (8-10 PM) and the one-hour morning window (6-7 AM) require active monitoring. Practitioners advising local bodies should ensure that adequate enforcement protocols are established before the festival period to avoid contempt proceedings.